A yeast strain utilizing styrene epoxide as a sole carbon and energy source was isolated from soil samples for the production of enantiopure of styrene epoxide by kinetic resolution. The strain, identified as a Rhodosporidium toruloides SJ-4, expressed an epoxide hydrolase which preferentially converted (R)-styrene epoxide into the corresponding diol. A maximum activity of 135 U/L was observed when biomass (dry cell mass) reached 6.7 g/L at 21 h of batch culture. Under the partially optimized reaction conditions ($35^{circ}C$ and pH 8.0), the optically pure (S)-styrene epoxide was obtained with the yield of 21% when the initial substrate concentration was 100 mM. The reaction was completed at 9 h.