Daptomycin is used to selectively inhibit susceptible Gram-positive bacteria and to study membrane integrity, antibiotic resistance, and cell envelope stress responses in bacterial systems.

It is commonly incorporated into culture media or susceptibility assays to suppress sensitive organisms and to evaluate resistance mechanisms in species such as Enterococcus and Staphylococcus.

Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic that binds to bacterial membranes in a calcium dependent manner, inserts its lipid tail into the phospholipid bilayer, and causes rapid membrane depolarization. This disruption of membrane potential inhibits essential cellular processes, leading to bacterial cell death without direct lysis. Its unique membrane targeting mechanism makes it a valuable tool for investigating antimicrobial activity distinct from beta lactam or glycopeptide antibiotics.