The growing global demand for mineral raw materials has been encouraging the low grade ores and the treatment and recovery of waste arising from mining activity. In addition, the need to reduce capital costs, are encouraging the development and refinement of new complementary technologies for conventional techniques used in mineral flotation, and the search for new reagents for better perform in the process. The purpose of this paper is to present recent advances in the identification of microbial strains with excellent characteristics in the bioflotation of various mineral systems. The key aspects of microbial adhesion are presented and discussed for systems minerals such as quartz / hematite, sulfide minerals, carbonates and sulfates.