Self-replicating molecules show signs of metabolism for the first time

In a chance discovery, researchers have for the first time observed the emergence of something akin to metabolism in molecules that also self-replicate.¹ The replicator molecules catalyse a reaction that produces compounds that help to make the replicator’s own building blocks. It might be one of the most lifelike chemical systems ever created, combining two of life’s three essential features – replication, metabolism and compartmentalisation.