This study reviews the properties and applications of three anionic detergents—sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Sarkosyl, and sodium lauroylglutamate (SLG)—in molecular biology research. SDS is widely used for cell lysis, protein solubilization, and the purification of SDS-resistant fibrils, but it inherently denatures proteins and disrupts native complexes. Sarkosyl binds to unfolded and native proteins, facilitating their solubilization and separation from insoluble neuropathological protein fibrils. SLG is milder than the other two detergents and is effective for protein refolding, although its use in molecular biology research is limited. The study highlights the differences in their effects on proteins, membranes, and fibrils, and suggests that SLG may be particularly useful for cell lysis in functional proteomics due to its weaker binding to native proteins. The review also discusses the mechanisms by which these detergents affect proteins and fibrils, emphasizing the importance of detergent choice in various experimental contexts.This study reviews the properties and applications of three anionic detergents—sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), Sarkosyl, and sodium lauroylglutamate (SLG)—in molecular biology research. SDS is widely used for cell lysis, protein solubilization, and the purification of SDS-resistant fibrils, but it inherently denatures proteins and disrupts native complexes. Sarkosyl binds to unfolded and native proteins, facilitating their solubilization and separation from insoluble neuropathological protein fibrils. SLG is milder than the other two detergents and is effective for protein refolding, although its use in molecular biology research is limited. The study highlights the differences in their effects on proteins, membranes, and fibrils, and suggests that SLG may be particularly useful for cell lysis in functional proteomics due to its weaker binding to native proteins. The review also discusses the mechanisms by which these detergents affect proteins and fibrils, emphasizing the importance of detergent choice in various experimental contexts.