Variable range hopping and electrical conductivity along the DNA double helix

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