Often the first choice and, coincidentally, the most popular detergents for membrane protein work are non-ionic, sugar-based detergents, mostly derived from maltose or glucose. These detergents are mild and non-denaturing because they disrupt protein-lipid and lipid-lipid interactions rather than proteinprotein interactions. The sugar serves as a polar head group with a non-polar alkyl chain attached. The hydrophilic head groups offer ample strength to extract proteins while still providing the capability to stabilize proteins in solution and promote crystal growth. These detergents are also well chronicled for their ability to stabilize other large macromolecules as well.