An efficient method for asymmetric reduction of (S)-3-chloro-1-phenylpropanol from 3-chloropropiophenone was developed using preheated Candida utilis cells immobilized in calcium alginate gel beads. Heating the immobilized cells (bead diameter 1.5 mm) at 45A degrees C for 50 min allowed the reaction to proceed with 99.5% enantiomeric excess (ee) and an 85% yield with 1 g substrate l(-1) (batch addition in three aliquots) in 48 h. The immobilized cells retained approximately 50% of their original catalytic activity after being reused three times.