Many industrial and biochemical applications depend on the use of detergents and other surfactants.

These compounds are indispensable, in particular for the extraction, purification and handling of membrane proteins.

Due to their amphiphilic nature, detergents can provide a membrane-mimetic environment required by integral membrane proteins to retain their native structures and functions in aqueous solution.

Often, different detergents have to be screened to identify one that is suitable for the solubilisation, stabilisation and reconstitution, as well as the biophysical, biochemical or structural scrutiny of the protein of interest.