An apparatus for reaction screening and optimization, comprising: a substrate including a plurality of reaction vessels; a dispensing subsystem configured and arranged to deliver reagents to the plurality of reaction vessels for a plurality of reaction mixtures in accordance with experimental design parameters that define varied reaction conditions for a plurality of reactions associated with a set of synthetic routes, each of the set of synthetic routes designed to reach a target end product, and wherein the target end product is the same for each of the set of synthetic routes; at least one reactor module configured and arranged to drive the plurality of reactions of the reaction mixtures within the plurality of reaction vessels and in accordance with the varied reaction conditions to form compositions within the plurality of reaction vessels; an analysis subsystem configured and arranged to analyze the compositions contained in the plurality of reaction vessels after the reactions have begun, the analysis being at a speed on an order of one reaction per second; an automation subsystem configured and arranged to selectively move the plurality of reaction vessels from a location proximal to the dispensing subsystem to the at least one reactor module based on experimental design parameters; and control circuitry configured and arranged to communicate and provide the experimental design parameters to the dispensing subsystem and the automation subsystem for feedback control of the plurality of reactions within a threshold period of time and to identify optimum reaction conditions for synthetically forming the target end product based on the analysis of the compositions received from the analysis subsystem, the optimum reaction conditions including a set of reaction conditions to form the target end product as optimized for an objective. a substrate including a plurality of reaction vessels; a dispensing subsystem configured and arranged to deliver reagents to the plurality of reaction vessels for a plurality of reaction mixtures in accordance with experimental design parameters that define varied reaction conditions for a plurality of reactions associated with a set of synthetic routes, each of the set of synthetic routes designed to reach a target end product, and wherein the target end product is the same for each of the set of synthetic routes; at least one reactor module configured and arranged to drive the plurality of reactions of the reaction mixtures within the plurality of reaction vessels and in accordance with the varied reaction conditions to form compositions within the plurality of reaction vessels; an analysis subsystem configured and arranged to analyze the compositions contained in the plurality of reaction vessels after the reactions have begun, the analysis being at a speed on an order of one reaction per second; an automation subsystem configured and arranged to selectively move the plurality of reaction vessels from a location proximal to the dispensing subsystem to the at least one reactor module based on experimental design parameters; and control circuitry configured and arranged to communicate and provide the experimental design parameters to the dispensing subsystem and the automation subsystem for feedback control of the plurality of reactions within a threshold period of time and to identify optimum reaction conditions for synthetically forming the target end product based on the analysis of the compositions received from the analysis subsystem, the optimum reaction conditions including a set of reaction conditions to form the target end product as optimized for an objective. <EOS>