Objectives To screening of bacteria with cyclic amino alcohol deamination activity for enantioselective synthesis of chiral cyclic beta-amino alcohols. Results A new strain named Arthrobacter sp. TYUT010-15 with the (R)-selective deamination activity of cyclic beta-amino alcohol has been isolated from nature via a high throughput solid-phase screening method. The reaction conditions of TYUT010-15 were optimized. Using the resting cell of TYUT010-15 as the catalyst, kinetic resolution of trans-2-aminocyclopentanol, trans-2-aminocyclohexanol and cis-1-amino-2-indanol was carried out to afford (1S, 2S)-trans-2-aminocyclopentanol, (1S, 2S)-trans-2-aminocyclohexanol and (1R, 2S)-cis-1-amino-2-indanol in > 99% ee and 49.6-50% conversion. Four aromatic beta-amino alcohols and two amines were also resolved, (S)-beta-amino alcohols and (R)-amines were obtained in > 99% ee. Preparation experiment was conducted with 200 mM (23.2 g L-1) racemic trans-2-aminocyclohexanol, yielding the desired (1S, 2S)-trans-2-aminocyclohexanol in 40% isolated yield, > 99% ee and 5.8 g L-1 d(-1) space time yields. Conclusions This study provides a high throughput solid-phase method for screening of bacteria with cyclic amino alcohol deamination activity and a first example for practical preparation of chiral cyclic beta-amino alcohol by Arthrobacter sp. TYUT010-15.