Life's soft and wet machinery arose from spatially confined assemblies of biomolecules capable of replication, integrated with metabolic reaction cycles that function far from equilibrium.^[1] By methodically synthesizing and integrating these key elements, i.e. replication, metabolism, and confinement under non-equilibrium conditions, we can begin to explore how chemically constructed systems might acquire life-like, evolving properties.^[2-5] This ambitious goal lies at the heart of systems chemistry. In this talk, I will outline recent insights into how reaction networks, self-reproduction, and compartmentalization can be brought together under non-equilibrium settings.^[1] I will also delve into the interplay between reaction dynamics and transient compartmentalization, and explore the development of self-replicating systems capable of sustained operation in far-from-equilibrium conditions.

References
[1] Singh, A.; Parvin, P.; Saha, B.; Das, D.* Nat. Rev. Chem. 2024, 8, 723–774.
[2] Roy, S.; Laha, J.; Reja, A.; Das, D.* J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2024, 146 (32), 22522–22529.
[3] Jha, S.; Roy, S.; Reja, A.; Singh, A. K.; Roy, L.; Das, D.* Chem 2025, 11, 102630.
[4] Bal, S.; Gupta, S.; Mahato, C.; Das, D.* Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2025, 64, e202505296.
[5] Gupta, S.; Jha, S.; Mahato, C.; Das, D.* Nat. Commun. 2025 16, 9336.