TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - BIOTECHNOLOGY - Preferred Microorganisms: The microorganism is a Gram-negative bacterium. It is Pseudomonas, Arthrobacter, Mycobacterium, and/or Flavobacterium. It is preferably Pseudomonas putida (preferably), Pseudomonas cepacia, and/or Mycobacterium chlorophenolicum.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Property: The organic solvent has a partition coefficient of at least 35 and a log P value of at least 2.5 (preferably at least 3.2).Preferred Solvent: The organic solvent is alcohol, ketone, ester, and/or aldehyde, preferably 1, 2, or 3-nonanol, 1, 2, or 3-(un)decanol, 1, 2, or 3-dodecanol, 1, 2, or 3-nonanone, 1, 2, or 3-(un)decanone, 1, 2, or 3-tridecadione, 1, 2, or 3-tetradecadione, decen-1-ol, oleyl alcohol, diethyl sebacate, diethyl suberate, diethyl azelate, octyl acetate, ethyl heptanoate, and/or structural isomers.Preferred Compounds: The xenobiotic is a substituted organic compound including benzene, toluene, styrene, xylene, (pentachloro)phenol, and/or polychlorinated biphenyls. It may also be a nitroarene compound such as 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene and/or 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene.Preferred Concentration: The initial concentration is 20 g/L.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ENVIRONMENT - Preferred Process: The process involves returning the organic phase to the reactor. Step (g) involves removing the organic phase from the reactor when the concentration of the xenobiotic in the organic phase is reduced to approximately 2 g/L. EXAMPLE - Pseudomonas putida cultures were grown using a medium described in Accelerated phenol removal by amplifying the gene expression with a recombinant plasmid encoding catechol-2,3-oxygenase, Wat.Res., 27:9-13 Fujita et. al. Inoculum (160 ml) was concentrated. The supernatant was decanted and the cell fraction was suspended in the medium (40 ml) to prepare the final inoculum. Fermentation was carried out at 30 degrees C, with agitation at 200 rpm and aeration at 0.25 vvm, based on the aqueous phase volume. The fermenter was heat sterilized with the medium (1 L) in place. The medium was then inoculated, and organic solvent (500 ml) loaded and phenol (4 g) was added. Tests showed that the phenol in the system was exhausted in just over 48 hours. The volumetric phenol consumption rate was approximately 80 mg/L-h (based on volume of aqueous phase), which was twice the highest value found in prior art literature.