Vargulin (with the associated luciferase) has applications in biotechnology:
* in a variety of assays, to report gene or gene expression after luciferase have been genetically introduced in cells,
* to detect ATP, that is used in the vargulin/luciferase reaction (cell viability assays).
Although less stable, the Cypridina system is useful because can be used in multiplex assays with other (red-emitting) luciferin assays.