Abstract:CRISPR/Cas9 is one of novel genome editing technologies developed from the unique prokaryotic acquired immune system in bacteria and archaea，and it can be guided to specific locations within complex genomes by a short RNA，and thus cleavage of the target can be recognized. Using this technology，DNA sequences within the endogenous genome and their expressed products are now easily edited or regulated in virtually any organism of choice. The technology has become the most popular genome editing tool，promoting the development of basic biology，biotechnology and medicine. This paper introduced the research progress on CRISPR/Cas9 from the aspects of development history，structure and function，and the mechanism of precise recognition，also reviewed the application of this new technology in genome editing in detailed，aiming at providing a reference for related researchers.