6-Azathymine is used in biochemical research as a nucleobase analog, primarily to study DNA and RNA synthesis mechanisms. It serves as a probe to investigate enzyme specificity, particularly in thymidylate synthase and other pyrimidine-metabolizing enzymes. Due to its structural similarity to thymine, it can be incorporated into nucleic acid chains, causing disruptions in replication and transcription, which makes it useful in studying mutagenesis and repair processes. It also has potential applications in the development of antiviral and anticancer agents, where modified nucleobases are used to interfere with pathogenic or malignant cell proliferation. Its role as a metabolic inhibitor allows researchers to control gene expression and cell growth in experimental models.