Abstract: Paenibacillus polymyxa has a wide range of applicable properties, whose achievements in recent years, which are associated with genes, bioactive metabolites and mechanisms, are summarized in this review. It is summed up that fresh researches have been accomplished in peptide and proteins, enzymes, functional polysaccharide and other metabolic active substances. And then, this work focus on the mechanisms of plant growth promotion, potential biomedical applications and other fields. Their insufficiencies, which include in microecology, relationship between active metabolites and their structure and in-depth molecular mechanisms, have also been pointed out. Thus, this aims to review research advances on genes, metabolites and mechanisms. Furthermore, the outlook of experimental direction will be presented.