Antibiotic Selection in Bacteria: Selects and maintains plasmids with kanamycin-resistance markers in Escherichia coli and other Gram-negative bacteria during cloning and protein expression.

Preparation of Selective Media: Added to LB or agar to create kanamycin-selective plates and broths for routine screening and plasmid maintenance.

Agrobacterium Vector Maintenance: Maintains kanamycin-resistant binary vectors in Agrobacterium tumefaciens for plant transformation workflows.

Plant Transformation Selection: Selects transgenic plant tissues expressing nptII (kanR) during regeneration and tissue culture.

Cyanobacteria and Algae Selection: Supports selection of engineered strains (e.g., Synechocystis) carrying kanamycin-resistance cassettes.

Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing: Used to prepare defined-concentration media for MIC/kill-curve assays against susceptible bacteria.

Contamination Control in Cell Culture: Employed short-term to suppress bacterial contamination in mammalian cell cultures (not a substitute for aseptic technique).