The present invention relates to a microorganism having a reduced fatty acid degrdn. capacity and expressing a recombinant alkane oxidase, a method for oxidizing an alkyl, comprising a contacting the alkyl with an aq. soln. comprising the inventive cell. This method was applied towards the acceleration of sepn. of a hydrophobic phase from an aq. medium using a cell with reduced acyl CoA-dehydrogenase activity for the prodn. of W-amino lauric acid Me ester. Deletion of the gene encoding FadE, the Escherichia coli acyl-CoA dehydrogenase of the β-oxidn. pathway, leads to (1) an improved phase sepn. if the mutant is in an aq. soln. and contacted with a water-immiscible org. solvent, and to (2) a lower consumption of oxygen. As the biotransformation progresses, the oxygen and carbon transfer rates increase in the wild-type strain but decrease in the ΔFadE strain, approaching levels obsd. prior to biotransformation. The yield was comparable between the 2 strains, with a slight increase in the mutant st