The document discusses three major tools used for gene editing: zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), and CRISPR-Cas9. ZFNs were developed in 1980 and work by fusing a zinc finger protein that recognizes DNA sequences to a nuclease that cuts DNA. TALENs are structurally similar to ZFNs but use a different DNA binding domain. CRISPR-Cas9 is a two-part system consisting of a guide RNA and Cas9 nuclease that cuts DNA at sites defined by the guide RNA, and is based on a bacterial immune system.