  The base sequences of DNA contain the genetic code and to decode it a double
helical DNA has to open its base pairs. Recent studies have shown that one can
use a third strand to identify the base sequences without opening the double
helix but by forming a triple helix. It is predicted here that such a three
chain system exhibits the unusual behaviour of the existence of a three chain
bound state in the absence of any two being bound. This phenomenon is analogous
to the Efimov state in three particle quantum mechanics. A scaling theory is
used to justify the Efimov connection. Real space renormalization group (RG),
and exact numerical calculations are used to validate the prediction of a
biological Efimov effect.
