The "artificial cell" is a drop of water. Surface tension mimics a cell wall. The "metabolic function" is a reaction that can happen in water between component

The "artificial cell" is a drop of water. Surface tension mimics a cell wall. The "metabolic function" is a reaction that can happen in water between components that are injected into the water. At the very least, this is an impressive application of microfluidics and could be used to model some cellular processes.