Two decades after South Dakota set out to create one of the world’s deepest underground research laboratories, the Black Hills science facility is expanding.

Since 2004, the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) near Lead has studied dark matter and neutrino particulars, helping advance human understanding in physics, geology, biology and engineering. It’s also given the U.S. a scientific edge internationally.

But officials with the state and the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority say more underground experiment space is needed to maintain SURF’s distinction as a global leader in scientific advancement.

“We’re really trying to unlock how the universe works,” said Mike Headley, executive director of the state science and technology authority, the organization that owns and operates SURF. “We’re trying to compete with other labs around the world to be the first to make some of these novel discoveries.”

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