Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and Phytophothora sojae are two most destructive soybean pathogens responsible for more than $1 billion and $200 million, respectively, in annual soybean yield losses in the U.S. Deployment of genes conferring resistances to these pathogens into soybean cultivars is an effective solution to reduce yield losses. However, identification, integration, and pyramiding of such genes and natural variations into an elite cultivar take years or decades to achieve, representing a challenge in genetic management of these diseases. Now, the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology has revolutionized the way in which agricultural research is conducted. In particular, the technology enables rapid, precise, and targeted changes of the soybean genome/DNA for desirable traits. Such changes are essentially similar or identical to those created by the Mother Nature and thus exempt from regulation. The goal of this project is to create novel genetic variation at the Rhg1 locus for enhanced resistance to SCN and at the rps2-b locus for broad-spectrum resistance to P. sojae using the CRISPR-Cas9 genome-editing technology. This innovative approach, if successful, can be directly applied to convert "susceptibility" into "resistance" to these diseases in any elite cultivars that would significantly reduce input cost-to-benefit ratios for Indiana soybean producers. In addition to new sources of resistances to be created, this project will help us maintain and optimize soybean transformation and gene-editing protocols to facilitate Purdue's basic and applied soybean research, and to help undergraduate students gain cutting-edge hands-on experience as an integral part of our commitment to undergraduate education.