Neutron scattering from water in DNA and muscle tissue

Neutron scattering studies of rotational modes of water in DNA and muscle tissue are reported. Spectra from wet DNA and rat muscle are compared with those from ice and water. No evidence is found for an ice-like water component in biological systems. The relevance of neutron scattering for such a study is examined and possible discrepancies with other measurements are discussed. The similarity of the neutron spectra for wet DAN and muscle tissue is taken as evidence that water-nucleotide and water-peptide interactions are similar to water-water interactions when probed on a short time scale