ATA stands for Ancient Technology Activation. It is believed that it is due to a single gene that is always on, instructing various cells to produce a series of proteins and enzymes that interact with the skin, the nervous system and the brain, thus permitting a mental control of Ancient artifacts.

Some devices like the chair and the Jumpers can only be used by people having the gene, but some other pieces of technology only need to be initialized by such people and can thereafter be used by anybody else.

However, it could prove handy that anybody can use the Ancient technology at anytime (in a case of emergency, for instance), Doctor Beckett designed a therapy that use a mouse retrovirus to deliver the missing gene to the cells. The cure is efficient and seems to have no side-effect.

The first to benefit from this treatment was doctor McKay, but others got the gene soon after.

It is to be noticed that the gene is not enough to give a full control of Ancient technology: though John Sheppard is a "natural" with the chair and any other Ancient technology, Carson Beckett has enormous difficulty to use them.