My other first impression is the potential similarities to alien contact. What if these cells, once given the ability to reproduce autonomously, become widespread around the globe, with no way for our, and other species', immune systems to prevent their consumption of biomatter, or whatever is made to be their "food".

According to this (https://biotic.org/research/spudcell/): it's "food" is: "small 'feeder liposomes' that deliver lipids for membrane growth plus nutrients including ribosomes, enzymes, and small molecules [emphasis mine]".

So it can't make everything a cell actually needs.

Anyway, still kinda scary, since you know it won't stop here.