Genetics is one of the most important courses for undergraduate students majoring in life science. In recent years, new knowledge and technologies are continually updated with deeper understanding of life science. However, the teaching model of genetics is still based on theoretical instruction, which makes the abstract principles hard to understand by students and directly affects the teaching effect. Thus, exploring a new teaching model is necessary. We have carried out a new teaching model, literature-based learning, in the course on Microbial Genetics for undergraduate students majoring in biotechnology since 2010. Here we comprehensively analyzed the implementation and application value of this model including pre-course knowledge, how to choose professional literature, how to organize teaching process and the significance of developing this new teaching model for students and teachers. Our literature-based learning model reflects the combination of "cutting-edge" and "classic" and makes book knowledge easy to understand, which improves students' learning effect, stimulates their interests, expands their perspectives and develops their ability. This practice provides novel insight into exploring new teaching model of genetics and cultivating medical talents capable of doing both basic and clinical research in the "precision medicine" era.