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 　　Stem cells are prised for their ability to give rise to a variety of specialized¹ cell types, including heart, liver, nerve and bone. Unfortunately, it's the stem cells from embryos² that have shown the biggest potential, for generating both a range of tissues and a ton of controversy³. Now researchers have discovered a new type of stem cell, present in adults, that appears to have similar potential to its embryonic⁴ kin⁵. Best of all, it comes from a source that a lot of us would be happy to give away — body fat. That's according to a study in the Journal Plus One. These fat-based stem cells were discovered by accident. Researchers were trying to grow cells from material collected by liposuction. But when a piece of lab equiment failed, the cells in their sample died, except for these ususually hardy⁶ stem cells. They can apparently⁷ withstand all sorts of harsh conditions, like nutrient⁸ or oxygen deprivation⁹ and attack by digestive enzymes¹⁰. In fact stress may even activate¹¹ these cells, which would make them excellent candidates for repairing disease or damaged tissues. More studies are needed to explore these cells' potential, which means researchers could be looking for a big fat donation.