A hierarchical architecture for information processing, the hypernetwork model, has recently been implemented. This is a three level model, inspired by biological systems, that includes representation of scale, vertical flow of information, and feedback control. All interactions are based on complementary relationships between molecular subunits. The system is molded to perform desired tasks through a variation-selection algorithm acting on the structure of the molecular subunits. The design of the system, the learning algorithm, and preliminary pattern classification results are presented. © 1999 IEEE.