Couldn't help but think of sharing this after I read the article. Of course, science fiction has produced quite a few stories about artificial life-forms, but not many (in my experience) that deal with man-made "cells" that work like ours.
Here is a bit of real science that discusses the concept:
Scientists create artificial cells that mimic living cells' ability to capture, process, and expel material
https://phys.org/news/2021-09-scientists...ility.html
So what if that artificial life begins competing with our natural life for sustenance?