Oliver Smithies is a famous molecular biologist, who invented gel electrophoresis in 1950s and gene targeting in 1980s. These methods provided important tools for the study of DNA and protein in vitro and in vivo, and greatly promoted the rapid development of life science. Oliver Smithies won the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his groundbreaking contribution in invention of gene targeting technology. In the article, Oliver Smithies’ life, researches and achievements are introduced.