Artist's rendering of planet Kepler-62f, which NASA says "orbits (its sun) every 267 days and is only 40 percent larger than Earth, making it the smallest exoplanet known in the habitable zone of another star." SDSU helped confirm that the planets are in the habitable zone.

Scientists in San Diego experienced one of their most productive and, in some cases, dangerous years ever in 2013, with breakthroughs and adventures that involved everything from the tiniest forms of life on Earth to the discovery of possibly habitable planets orbiting intriquing stars in a distant constellation.

Heres a look at the five top science stories, and a list of noteworthy events, advances and achievements.

Philanthropist T. Denny Sanford

CELL CHAMP: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford donated $100 million to UC San Diego in November to accelerate efforts to transform basic discoveries about stem cells into drugs and therapies for afflictions ranging from Parkinsons disease to failing hearts. It was the second largest gift in campus history. Sanford, who has a home in La Jolla, said, It is time to move stem cell research from animals into humans for trials, especially in areas like ALS (Lou Gehrigs disease) and spinal cord injuries, where I believe we can make a lot of progress. His gift is the centerpiece of a $275 million effort by the University of California San Diego to create some of the first clinical trials based on human stem cells. Sanfords money will allow for the hiring of 20-25 scientists, and the recruitment of patients for drug trials. (Full story)

President Obama confers the Presidential Medal of Freedom on UCSD Nobel laureate Mario Molina.

NATIONAL HEROES: At a November ceremony at the White House, President Barack Obama conferred the Presidential Medal of Freedom on UC San Diego Nobel laureate Mario Molina, and awarded the medal posthumously to Sally Ride of La Jolla, the first American woman to travel in space. Molina was honored for discovering that a class of common chemicals has been damaging Earths protective ozone layer. Obama said, Today, inspired by his work, we are working to leave our planet safer and cleaner for future generations. The president said Ride didnt just break the stratospheric glass ceiling, she blasted through it. When she came back to Earth, she devoted her life to helping girls excel in fields like math, science and engineering. (Full story)

Portrait of two SDSU astronomers Jerome Orosz, left, and Bill Welsh, at right, in the school's planetarium. They helped find two planets that are more like Earth the anything they've ever seen. Charlie Neuman

FAMILIAR WORLDS: NASA announced in April that scientists had found two planets that are more like Earth in size and temperature than anything thats ever been seen. The discovery was made with the help of San Diego State University astronomers Bill Welsh and Jerome Orosz. Using data from the Kepler Telescope, Welsh helped confirm that planets 62-E and 62-F exist in the habitable zone, a region of space where it is possible for water to exist on the surface -- if a planet has enough atmospheric pressure. Some scientists call these worlds Goldilocks planets. Orosz helped prove that the planets are circling a single sun. Both planets are located in constellation Lyra, roughly 1,200 light years from Earth. Orosz said, Theres a possibility that theres liquid water on their surfaces. And that means theres a possibility of life. (Full story)

Craig Venter leads a tour of his new J. Craig Venter Institute campus, under construction on Torrey Pines Mesa. Howard Lipin

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San Diego's top science stories of 2013