BROOKINGS - The initial suite of deep underground science experiments in the former Homestake Gold Mine could start in 2012 or 2013, according to a professor at South Dakota State University in Brookings.

SDSU assistant professor Robert McTaggart said that's the time line that scientists were considering when they met in Lead in April to began planning a grant application to support the engineering design of the experiments at the Sanford Underground Science and Engineering Laboratory.

McTaggart, a particle physicist at SDSU, said crucial physics and engineering experiments will take place in the deeper levels of the mine, with the first developments taking place at the 4,850-foot level.

Physics experiments under discussion could deal with topics such as dark matter, long baseline neutrino oscillations, nucleon decay, solar neutrinos, and neutrinoless double beta decay.

In addition, lower levels of the mine would be suited to deep life studies for biology, and to engineering studies concerning the excavation of large cavities.

Other multidisciplinary activities are under discussion that could take place at levels closer to the surface where they wouldn't interfere with physics work. Some of those projects have economic development potential, with possible impacts for alternative energy, energy efficiency, biomedicine, and sustainable agriculture.

Among those being considered for the lab are:

Radiation biology: The underground location would make it possible to do low-dose and self-dose studies, with applications in cancer research.

In addition, irradiation of native microbes, extremophiles, and algae would yield information about the effects of radiation on deep life, and radiation repair mechanisms and resistance. The research could have applications in such areas as biofuels work.

Underground agriculture: Studies would have possible applications in future missions to the Moon or Mars, and could include building synthetic soils based upon the Homestake regolith, or the loose material covering the solid rock. Research could also examine waste-recycling systems, and organic LED, or light-emitting diode, lighting systems.

The underground location also offers potential space in which to allow isolated growth of plants, such as plants genetically modified for biopharmaceutical uses. The location would allow for studies of the effects of low radiation doses on plants and seeds.

Algal biomass: Studies might characterize native algae, and develop a photobioreactor and LED lighting to grow algae. The work's possible applications include developing oils for biodiesel and biomass for ethanol; and providing protein, carbohydrates, and oxygen for space travel.

Effects of cosmic rays on materials: Performance and lifetime studies of the effects on organic LEDs, solar cells, and perhaps other devices and materials can be done at different depths. The work could help improve the efficiency of such devices.

Radiation effects on microelectronics: Studies could assist in the development of radiation-hardened circuits by looking at the correlations between cosmic rays or other particles and effects on circuits.