TALEN can be used to edit genomes by inducing double-strand breaks (DSB), which cells respond to with repair mechanisms.
Non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) directly ligates DNA from either side of a double-strand break where there is very little or no sequence overlap for annealing. This repair mechanism induces errors in the genome via indels (insertion or deletion), or chromosomal rearrangement; any such errors may render the gene products coded at that location non-functional.  Because this activity can vary depending on the species, cell type, target gene, and nuclease used, it should be monitored when designing new systems.  A simple heteroduplex cleavage assay can be run which detects any difference between two alleles amplified by PCR. Cleavage products can be visualized on simple agarose gels or slab gel systems.
Alternatively, DNA can be introduced into a genome through NHEJ in the presence of exogenous double-stranded DNA fragments.
Homology directed repair can also introduce foreign DNA at the DSB as the transfected double-stranded sequences are used as templates for the repair enzymes.