AUTHOR=Qiao Huanhuan , Wu Jieting , Zhang Xiaodong , Luo Jian , Wang Hao , Ming Dong TITLE=The Advance of CRISPR-Cas9-Based and NIR/CRISPR-Cas9-Based Imaging System JOURNAL=Frontiers in Chemistry VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2021 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/chemistry/articles/10.3389/fchem.2021.786354 DOI=10.3389/fchem.2021.786354 ISSN=2296-2646 ABSTRACT=The study of different genes, chromosomes and the spatiotemporal relationship between them is of great significance in the field of biomedicine. CRISPR-Cas9 has become the most widely used gene editing tool due to its excellent targeting ability. In recent years, a series of advanced imaging technologies based on Cas9 have been reported, providing fast and convenient tools for studying the sites location of genome, RNA, and chromatin. At the same time, a variety of CRISPR-Cas9-based imaging systems have been developed, which are widely used in real-time multi-site imaging in vivo. In this review, we described the component and mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9 system, and summarized the CRISPR-Cas9-based imaging system. We mainly overviewed the NIR imaging, the application of NIR fluorophores in the delivery of CRISPR-Cas9, and the studies of NIR/CRISPR-Cas9-based imaging systems. In addition, we also discussed the challenges and potential solutions of CRISPR-Cas9-based imaging methods, and looked forward to the development trend of the field.