Transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs) are restriction enzymes that can be engineered to cut specific DNA sequences. TALENs are made by fusing a DNA-binding domain from TALE (transcription activator-like effector) proteins with a DNA cleavage domain from the FokI nuclease. This fusion allows TALENs to be targeted to specific DNA sequences and induce double-stranded breaks, making them useful for genome editing applications.