The common spud, a staple in diets around the world, is undergoing an upgrade thanks to advances in genetic technologies such as gene editing. Developing improved potato varieties through traditional plant breeding is remarkably challenging, in part because most commercially grown potatos have a tetraploid genome, i.e., they have four sets of chromosomes instead of two. Using advanced genetic tools, companies are editing potato genes to modify starch ratios, improve starch quality, and even make them more block-shaped so they can be cut into more uniform french fries. The focus on potato improvement is probably overdue considering it ranks third, behind rice and wheat, as a food crop for human
