Used as a non-ionic surfactant in biological research for cell lysis and membrane protein extraction. Commonly employed in immunoprecipitation and western blotting to reduce non-specific binding and improve antigen detection. Also utilized in nucleic acid purification protocols to help disrupt cellular structures. Its low interference with downstream assays makes it suitable for use in various molecular biology applications. Frequently chosen as a milder alternative to ionic detergents when preserving protein function is important.