The article describes the successful use of TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) to edit the rice gene *Os11N3* (also known as *OsSWEET14*), which is hijacked by the pathogen *Xanthomonas oryzae* pv. *oryzae* (Xoo) to activate disease-susceptibility genes. The researchers targeted two overlapping elements in the *Os11N3* promoter using two pairs of designer TALENs to induce mutations that interfere with the virulence function of Xoo effectors AvrXa7 and PhxXo3. The TALEN constructs were introduced into rice embryonic cells, and the resulting plants were screened for mutations. Approximately 63% of the plants generated from self-pollination of T0 plants carried mutations induced by the TALEN pair 2 genes. These mutations resulted in resistance to bacterial blight, a significant disease affecting rice, a staple crop for half of the world's population. The modified plants showed no developmental abnormalities, and the resistance was heritable. The study demonstrates the potential of TALEN-based gene editing for developing disease-resistant rice and other crops.The article describes the successful use of TAL effector nucleases (TALENs) to edit the rice gene *Os11N3* (also known as *OsSWEET14*), which is hijacked by the pathogen *Xanthomonas oryzae* pv. *oryzae* (Xoo) to activate disease-susceptibility genes. The researchers targeted two overlapping elements in the *Os11N3* promoter using two pairs of designer TALENs to induce mutations that interfere with the virulence function of Xoo effectors AvrXa7 and PhxXo3. The TALEN constructs were introduced into rice embryonic cells, and the resulting plants were screened for mutations. Approximately 63% of the plants generated from self-pollination of T0 plants carried mutations induced by the TALEN pair 2 genes. These mutations resulted in resistance to bacterial blight, a significant disease affecting rice, a staple crop for half of the world's population. The modified plants showed no developmental abnormalities, and the resistance was heritable. The study demonstrates the potential of TALEN-based gene editing for developing disease-resistant rice and other crops.