Enhanced production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid from glucose and xylose by alleviation of metabolic congestion due to glycerol flux in engineered Escherichia coli.

•A metabolomic study revealed the metabolic burden during glucose and xylose co-fermentation.•Replacement of the GPD1 gene with the gpsA gene alleviated metabolic congestion.•The carbon flux to 3-HP production was improved in the newly engineered strain.•Fed-batch fermentation of the glucose/xylose mixture produced 37.6 g/L 3-HP titer.