Water is intimately entwined structurally with DNA. Depending on its hydration state, DNA can form several forms: A, B, C, D and Z. In addition water bound in the grooves of the double helix is essential for helix stability. The naturally forming B-form of DNA as originally defined by Crick and Watson has a helical pitch of 10 base pairs every 34 angstroms, where the bases are in a flat planar conformation perpendicular to the helical axis. This form has been the subject of extensive structural, modelling and biochemical studies, as such a large body of literature exists on this form of DNA.We wish to use wide angle neutron scattering on the NIMROD beamline at ISIS to probe the role of hydration water in DNA stability. This will be a pilot study with a synthetic construct that contains a cognate and non-cognate site for the restriction endonuclease EcoRI.