It was first discovered in 2010 by Professor Lodewyk Kock and his team working in the biotechnology department at the University of the Free State in South Africa.
[2] The project was initiated at the University of the Free State by the Kock group in 1982, with the major inputs and breakthroughs occurring between 2007 and 2012.
[1] These compounds, aimed at selectively switching off the mitochondria, therefore, might find application in combating various diseases such as fungal infections and cancer.
[1] The main challenge in applying the technology to biological material was to invent a sample preparation procedure that would ensure that the atom and 3D structure remained stable while argon nano-etching occurred.
Firstly, the biological sample is plated with gold to stabilise the outer structure and make it electron conductive.
The amount of energy that is released is measured by auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and used to identify the atom and its intensity.
[3] This is considered a paradigm shift,[1] since naked gas bubbles are not expected inside any type of cell due to structured water in the cytoplasm.
The team at the University of the Free State is working with the Mayo Clinic to use the technology as a part of their cancer research.