Introduction to crystallographic refinement of macromolecular atomic models

Refinement of atomic models is a necessary step in solving the macromolecular structure by X-ray diffraction methods. Nowadays, high automation and well-developed interfaces give a possibility to use the most popular refinement programs as black boxes. Nevertheless, working with complex objects requires an understanding of the internal structure and principles of operation of these programs and critical assessment of the results of refinement. In this review, we discuss the basic principles of the organization of refinement programs and the history of their improvement and development, as the studied objects became more and more complicated. The discussions are kept at the level of basic mathematic knowledge avoiding unnecessary formalism and too detailed expressions.