text: For membrane proteins, the situation is more complicated because the system that is being crystallized is not the membrane protein itself but the micellar system in which the membrane protein is embedded.
  The size of the protein-detergent mixed micelles are affected by both additives and detergents which will strongly influence the crystals obtained. In addition to varying the concentration of primary detergents, additives (lipids and alcohols) and secondary detergents can be used to modulate the size and shape of the detergent micelles. By reducing the size of the mixed micelles lattice forming protein-protein contacts are encouraged. Lipid cubic phases, spontaneous self-assembling liquid crystals or lipid mesophases have been used successfully in the crystallization of integral membrane proteins. 
  Temperature, salts, detergents, various additives are used in this system to tailor the cubic phase to suit the target protein. Typical detergents used are n-dodecyl-β-d-maltopyranoside, n-decyl-β-d-glucopyranoside, lauryldimethylamine oxide LDAO, n-hexyl-β-d-glucopyranoside,  n-nonyl-β-d-glucopyranoside and n-octyl-β-d-glucopyranoside; the various lipids are dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine, dioleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine and monoolein.