Cell Lysis and Protein Extraction: Nonionic detergent used to lyse mammalian cells and Escherichia coli, releasing soluble proteins for downstream analysis.

Membrane Protein Solubilization: Solubilizes membrane proteins while preserving activity for biochemical and structural studies.

Permeabilization for Immunostaining: Permeabilizes cell and tissue membranes in IHC/IF and ICC to enable antibody access to intracellular epitopes.

Flow Cytometry (Intracellular Staining): Used to permeabilize fixed cells for detection of intracellular targets by flow cytometry.

Western Blot and Immunoassay Wash Buffers: Added to PBS/TBS wash buffers to reduce nonspecific binding and gently permeabilize during blotting and ELISA workflows.

Nuclei Isolation and Subcellular Fractionation: Facilitates selective membrane disruption for isolation of nuclei and organelles.

DNA/RNA Extraction: Aids in cell and viral lysis to release nucleic acids for purification and downstream assays.

Virus Inactivation: Disrupts enveloped viruses in samples for safer handling and analysis.

Tissue Permeabilization and Clearing: Enhances antibody penetration and reagent diffusion in fixed tissues.

Buffer/Formulation Component (e.g., RIPA): Included as a detergent in lysis buffers to extract total and membrane-associated proteins.