IBM uses DNA to make chips

As chipmakers compete to develop ever-smaller chips at cheaper prices, designers are struggling to cut costs. Artificial DNA nanostructures, or “DNA origami” may provide a cheap framework on which to build tiny microchips, according to a paper published on Sunday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Microchips are used in computers, cell phones and other electronic devices. “This is the first demonstration of using biological molecules to help with processing in the semiconductor industry,” IBM Research Manager Spike Narayan told Reuters, adding “Basically, this is telling us that biological structures like DNA actually offer some very reproducible, repetitive kinds of patterns that we can actually leverage in semiconductor processes.”