Japanese Society of Breeding Acta Medica Okayama 1344-7610 71 4 2021 Targeted genome modifications in cereal crops 405 416 EN Hiroshi Hisano Institute of Plant Science and Resources, Okayama University Fumitaka Abe Institute of Crop Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization Robert E. Hoffie Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Jochen Kumlehn Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) The recent advent of customizable endonucleases has led to remarkable advances in genetic engineering, as these molecular scissors allow for the targeted introduction of mutations or even precisely predefined genetic modifications into virtually any genomic target site of choice. Thanks to its unprecedented precision, efficiency, and functional versatility, this technology, commonly referred to as genome editing, has become an effective force not only in basic research devoted to the elucidation of gene function, but also for knowledgebased improvement of crop traits. Among the different platforms currently available for site-directed genome modifications, RNA-guided clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-associated (Cas) endonucleases have proven to be the most powerful. This review provides an application-oriented overview of the development of customizable endonucleases, current approaches to cereal crop breeding, and future opportunities in this field. No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.