Used as a stable isotope-labeled tracer in metabolic studies to track the flow of carbon through glycolysis, the citric acid cycle, and gluconeogenesis. Enables researchers to monitor real-time cellular metabolism using techniques like NMR and mass spectrometry. Particularly valuable in cancer research to study altered metabolic pathways in tumor cells. Also applied in mitochondrial function assays and in the development of labeled biomolecules for diagnostic purposes.