Metal nanoparticles have been widely applied in many fields,including materials, catalysis, medicine, environment, etc. Furthermore, nanoparticles from noble metal, such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, possess the ability of increasing the efficiency of catalytic reaction. Therefore, the synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles by microorganisms has attracted the attention of many researchers. Although traditional physical and chemical methods can synthesize nanoparticles efficiently and controllably, these methods are complicated and expensive, in addition to the wide use of hazardous chemicals. Therefore, exploring energy-saving, environmentally friendly and sustainable green synthesis method for synthesizing nano-materials is continuously attracting interests in this field. The microbial synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles conforms to the requirements of green synthesis technology, and researches have shown that many microorganisms can convert metal ions into nano-materials. Besides, microorganisms can be grown in mild condition cheaply and fast, so microbial synthesis has been widely concerned in the field of nanometer research. This review summarizes progress of microbial synthesis of noble metal nanoparticles, including the possible synthesis mechanisms and the control of size and shape. Meanwhile, the specific applications of microbial sourced nanoparticles in medicine, catalysis, biosensing and environment are discussed, and the future development of microbial nanomaterials synthesis is further prospected.