Experimental approach towards shell structure at Sn-100 and Ni-78

The status of experimental approach to Sn-100 and Ni-78 is reviewed. Revised single particle energies for neutrons are deduced for the N=Z=50 shell closure and evidence for low lying I-pi=2(+) and 3(-) states is presented. Moderate E2 polarization charges of 0.1 e and 0.6 e are found to reproduce the experimental data when core excitation of Sn-100 is properly accounted for in the shell model. For the neutron rich Ni region no conclusive evidence for an N=40 subshell is found, whereas firm evidence for the persistence of the N=50 shell at Ni-78 is inferred from the existence of seniority isomers. The disappearance of this isomerism in the mid nug(9/2) shell is discussed.