  Autocatalytic chemical networks play a predominant role in a large number of
natural systems such as in metabolic pathways and in ecological networks. In
this work, we present a theoretical framework that identifies the thermodynamic
conditions under which autocatalytic networks run optimally in a
non-equilibrium stationary state. Our theory shows that the overall reaction
associated with the network is aligned with the thermodynamic force that drives
the system out of equilibrium. We also demonstrate that the thermodynamic force
required to operate at a maximal flux obeys universal constraints that are
independent of the kinetics, but solely determined by the stoichiometry of the
overall process and by the structural properties of the underlying chemical
reaction network.

Chemical Physics