A group of researchers at McGill University have created a potato super pan genome to identify genetic traits to breed better potatoes, an Aug. 23 news release said.
“Our super pangenome sheds light on the potato’s genetic diversity and what kinds of genetic traits could potentially be bred into our modern-day crop to make it better,” Martina Strömvik, a professor at McGill University, said in the release. “It represents 60 species and is the most extensive collection of genome sequence data for the potato and its relatives to date.”
The release noted a genome is an organism’s complete set of genetic instructions known as the DNA sequence, while a pangenome aims to capture the complete genetic diversity within a species, and a super pangenome also includes multiple species.
To build the potato pangenome, the researchers used supercomputers to crunch data from public databanks, including gene banks in Canada, the United States, and Peru, the release said. The pangenome can be used to answer many questions about the evolution of potatoes over the years. It can also be used to identify specific genes to create a super spud using traditional breeding or gene editing technology.
“Scientists hope to develop something that can defend against various forms of diseases and better withstand extreme weather like lots of rain, frost, or a drought,” Strömvik said.
Strömvik collaborated with researchers across Canada, the U.S. and Peru on the project. The research findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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