Engineering of cyclodextrin glucanotransferases and the impact for biotechnological applications

Cyclodextrin glucanotransferases (CGTases) are industrially important enzymes that produce cyclic α-(1,4)-linked oligosaccharides (cyclodextrins) from starch. Cyclodextrin glucanotransferases are also applied as catalysts in the synthesis of glycosylated molecules and can act as antistaling agents in the baking industry. To improve the performance of CGTases in these various applications, protein engineers are screening for CGTase variants with higher product yields, improved CD size specificity, etc. In this review, we focus on the strategies employed in obtaining CGTases with new or enhanced enzymatic capabilities by searching for new enzymes and improving existing enzymatic activities via protein engineering

Store Brand as a Customer Experience Touchpoint and Its Contribution to Store Loyalty

Store Brands (SBs) have been growing internationally over the last decades, spurring many managerial and academic studies.The present work aims to take a fresh perspective on SB by highlighting its role as a retail touchpoint within a Customer Experience (CE) framework. This study examines SB as a touchpoint together with many other retail/store touchpoints that consumers interact with during their CE journeys. By means of a survey on more than 2000 consumers we identify the relative role of SB within the CE journey in terms of reach, and its contribution to store loyalty when all other CE touchpoints are considered. First, we show that SB is a touchpoint that can reach a high share of retail customers and we highlight its overlap with other touchpoints. Second, considering that touchpoint "positivity" is defined as the customer's affective response to the encounter with a touchpoint, the study estimates the relative contribution of SB positivity to store loyalty. SB positivity is found to be an important predictor of store loyalty. Results carry several implications for academics and practitioners