Abstract: The mechanically stirred air lift bioreactors are a kind of novel and high-performance bioreactors，which are paid more attention due to their excellent merits in recent years and may have a good prospest. The corrent research progress of mechanically agitated airlift bioreactors at home and abroad is summarized. The paper also compares the mechanically stirred air lift bioreactors with mechanically stirred bioreactors and air lift bioreactors and points out its strengths. Besides，the basic structure，hydromechanics characteristics and relevant parameters of the novel bioreactors are introduced and analyzed in detail as well as their applications in fermentation and chemical industry in the future.