Variable Range Hopping and Electrical Conductivity along the DNA Double Helix

Abstract

We present a model to describe electrical conductivity along the DNA double helix. In this model, DNA is considered as a one-dimensional disordered system, and electrons are transported via variable range hopping between localized states. Thermal structural fluctuations in DNA further localize electronic wave functions, giving rise to a temperature-dependent localization length. The model quantitatively explains the temperature dependence of the conductivity observed in the lambda phage DNA (lambda-DNA).