I've heard both Jamie Gossard and Don Eller talk about making conversions and all of what has been described above can and often does happen. Even after spending a lot of time, money and effort, sometimes the conversions will die or revert back to diploid form. That's why they're so pricey. Plus, not everyone is comfortable working with the chemicals involved in conversions. Colchicine is one commonly used, and is a known carcinogen.
