Abstract: Following an introduction to the start-of-the-art of the research work made worldwide on microbial flocculants and the bacteria produced therefrom, an analysis is made of the chemical constitutions and properties of microbial flocculants, as well as the mechanism of microbial flocculation. Then the paper presents an overview of the progress made both at home and abroad in the treatment of coal slurry water with this technology, with the focal points targeted at coal slurry water flocculation, as well as the efficiency of monobacteria flocculant, compound microbial flocculants, and the effect of combined use of biaflocculant and non-bioflocculant. Finally, the direction of the work that needs to be made in the future is pointed out based on analysis of the problems existing in current research work.