We propose to develop metabolic chemistry, referring to the holistic study of sets of connected chemical interactions and transformations: (i) harvesting and conversion of energy (e.g., light to chemical) to drive chemical reactions, (ii) building up of structural and functional components and compartments from simple building blocks, and (iii) the breakdown and elimination of undesired components as waste. We propose that metabolic chemistry will give rise to new chemical processes and new ways of integrating synthetic materials with living systems.