[londons_explore]

This is especially true since the number of possible "instructions" is pretty low. Heat it, cool it, mix it, filter it, centrifuge it, compress it, take a sample and put it through a test instrument.

Pretty much all chemistry is some sequence of the above.

[girvo]

But your number of inputs is huge, and cleaning steps in between others in a reusable/reconfigurable machine is a difficult challenge to overcome all on its own. It’s not impossible and smart people are working on it, but it is incredibly hard.