Computer representation of structures

The first step in the development of an RNA three-dimensional structure determination method is to find a computer representation of structural knowledge and data. Important properties of the representation are the flexibility and power to express any set of structural knowledge and data, independently of any particular structure determination method. Think of such an abstract representation as the format or profile of a database entry within which any specific instance of an object can be described. 

Levels of Representation in the Computer. There are many different steps in the storage, retrieval and display of chemical structures. Incompatibilities among systems can arise at any step. These incompatibilities run the gamut from physical data formats through chemical perception of computer representations of structures. Consider the various levels of representation summarized below and illustrated in Figure 2. 

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