Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120ΔC is a biofilm-forming, solvent-tolerant bacterium known for producing various industrially valuable fine chemicals in catalytic biofilms. This thesis aimed to identify genetic targets linked to biofilm formation to enhance the biofilm-based synthesis of (S)-styrene oxide. Through various mutagenesis techniques, over 80 mutants were created, each exhibiting distinct multicellular growth patterns compared to the wild type. A novel quantitative assay was developed to evaluate the biofilm formation of these mutants in a continuous flow-through system. Among the mutants, five displayed notable behavior by forming macroscopic cell aggregates in liquid culture, influenced by the carbon source. This autoaggregation resulted from increased cell surface hydrophobicity due to altered lipopolysaccharide composition. The aggregating mutants demonstrated significantly improved surface adhesion and biofilm formation compared to the parent strain, which was advantageous for synthesizing (S)-styrene oxide. The autoaggregating mutant produced much more attached biomass in a capillary biofilm microreactor, bypassing the initial unproductive adaptation phase of the wild type. Consequently, this led to significantly higher final product concentrations and volumetric productivities. Overall, the thesis identified numerous genetic targets for further biofilm engineering of P. taiwanensis VLB120ΔC and highlighted the p
