Microbial adhesion to an interface plays an important role in many industrial bioengineering processes. Surface physicochemical properties can be treated as an indicator of the adhesive properties of microbial cells. In this paper, the application of the aggregation/dispersion technique used in fine particle technology to biotechnology is reviewed. By way of illustration, measurements of the surface characteristics of microbes living in an anaerobic digester, analysis of microbial adhesion and aggregation/coaggregation, and their application are introduced. (C) 2012 The Society of Powder Technology Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. and The Society of Powder Technology japan. All rights reserved.