Effect of hydration on electrical conductivity of DNA duplex: Green's function study combined with DFT

► We examine electrical conducting properties through dry and hydrated DNA duplexes. ► Nonequilibrium Green's function and density-functional theory methods are used. ► Electrical current through duplex is increased by an order of magnitude by hydration. ► Electrical current through CGCG duplex is twice that through hydrated CATG duplex. ► The computed results are consistent with the previous experiment.