Novel surfactant mixtures for NMR spectroscopy of encapsulated proteins dissolved in low-viscosity fluids.

NMR spectroscopy of encapsulated proteins dissolved in low-viscosity fluids is emerging as a tool for biophysical studies of proteins in atomic detail in a variety of otherwise inaccessible contexts. The central element of the approach is the encapsulation of the protein of interest within the aqueous core of a reverse micelle with high structural fidelity. The process of encapsulation is highly dependent upon the nature of the surfactant(s) employed. Here we describe novel mixtures of surfactants that are capable of successfully encapsulating a range of types of proteins under a variety of conditions.