<PAGE>
                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.46

              FORM OF GRANT AGREEMENT FOR 2001 NON-STATUTORY STOCK
                                  OPTION PLAN

                           CALIPER TECHNOLOGIES CORP.
                      2001 NON-STATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN
                             STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT

      Pursuant to the Certificate of Stock Option Grant (the "Certificate") on
the AST StockPlan website and this Stock Option Agreement, Caliper Technologies
Corp. (the "Company") has granted you an option under its 2001 Non-Statutory
Stock Option Plan (the "Plan") to purchase the number of shares of the Company's
Common Stock indicated on your Certificate at the exercise price (the "Grant
Price") indicated on your Certificate. Defined terms not explicitly defined in
this Stock Option Agreement but defined in the Plan shall have the same
definitions as in the Plan.

      The details of your option are as follows:

      1. VESTING. Subject to the limitations contained herein, your option will
vest as provided on the Certificate, provided that vesting will cease upon the
termination of your Continuous Service.

      2. NUMBER OF SHARES AND EXERCISE PRICE. The number of shares of Common
Stock subject to your option and your exercise price per share referenced on the
Certificate may be adjusted from time to time for Capitalization Adjustments, as
provided in the Plan.

      3. EXERCISE PRIOR TO VESTING ("EARLY EXERCISE"). If permitted on your
Certificate (i.e., the "Exercise Schedule" indicates that "Early Exercise" of
your option is permitted) and subject to the provisions of your option, you may
elect at any time that is both (i) during the period of your Continuous Service
and (ii) during the term of your option, to exercise all or part of your option,
including the nonvested portion of your option; provided, however, that:

            (a) a partial exercise of your option shall be deemed to cover first
vested shares of Common Stock and then the earliest vesting installment of
unvested shares of Common Stock;

            (b) any shares of Common Stock so purchased from installments that
have not vested as of the date of exercise shall be subject to the purchase
option in favor of the Company as described in the Company's form of Early
Exercise Stock Purchase Agreement; and
<PAGE>
            (c) you shall enter into the Company's form of Early Exercise Stock
Purchase Agreement with a vesting schedule that will result in the same vesting
as if no early exercise had occurred.

      4. METHOD OF PAYMENT. Payment of the exercise price is due in full upon
exercise of all or any part of your option. You may elect to make payment of the
exercise price in cash or by check or in any other manner PERMITTED ON YOUR
CERTIFICATE, which may include one or more of the following:

            (a) In the Company's sole discretion at the time your option is
exercised and provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is publicly
traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, pursuant to a program
developed under Regulation T as promulgated by the Federal Reserve Board that,
prior to the issuance of Common Stock, results in either the receipt of cash (or
check) by the Company or the receipt of irrevocable instructions to pay the
aggregate exercise price to the Company from the sales proceeds.

            (b) Provided that at the time of exercise the Common Stock is
publicly traded and quoted regularly in The Wall Street Journal, by delivery of
already-owned shares of Common Stock either that you have held for the period
required to avoid a charge to the Company's reported earnings (generally six
months) or that you did not acquire, directly or indirectly from the Company,
that are owned free and clear of any liens, claims, encumbrances or security
interests, and that are valued at Fair Market Value on the date of exercise.
"Delivery" for these purposes, in the sole discretion of the Company at the time
you exercise your option, shall include delivery to the Company of your
attestation of ownership of such shares of Common Stock in a form approved by
the Company. Notwithstanding the foregoing, you may not exercise your option by
tender to the Company of Common Stock to the extent such tender would violate
the provisions of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of
the Company's stock.

      5. WHOLE SHARES. You may exercise your option only for whole shares of
Common Stock.

      6. SECURITIES LAW COMPLIANCE. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein, you may not exercise your option unless the shares of Common
Stock issuable upon such exercise are then registered under the Securities Act
or, if such shares of Common Stock are not then so registered, the Company has
determined that such exercise and issuance would be exempt from the registration
requirements of the Securities Act. The exercise of your option must also comply
with other applicable laws and regulations governing your option, and you may
not exercise your option if the Company determines that such exercise would not
be in material compliance with such laws and regulations.

      7. TERM. You may not exercise your option before the commencement of its
term or after its term expires (the "Grant Expiration Date"). The term of your
option commences on the Date of Grant and expires upon the earliest of the
following:
<PAGE>
            (a) three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous
Service for any reason other than your Disability or death, provided that if
during any part of such three-month period your option is not exercisable solely
because of the condition set forth in the preceding paragraph relating to
"Securities Law Compliance," your option shall not expire until the earlier of
the Expiration Date or until it shall have been exercisable for an aggregate
period of three (3) months after the termination of your Continuous Service;

            (b) twelve (12) months after the termination of your Continuous
Service due to your Disability;

            (c) eighteen (18) months after your death if you die either during
your Continuous Service or within three (3) months after your Continuous Service
terminates;

            (d) the Expiration Date indicated on your Certificate; or the day
before the tenth (10th) anniversary of the Date of Grant.

      8. EXERCISE.

            (a) You may exercise the vested portion of your option (and the
unvested portion of your option if your Certificate so permits) during its term
by delivering a Notice of Exercise (in a form designated by the Company)
together with the exercise price to the Secretary of the Company, or to such
other person as the Company may designate, during regular business hours,
together with such additional documents as the Company may then require.

            (b) By exercising your option you agree that, as a condition to any
exercise of your option, the Company may require you to enter into an
arrangement providing for the payment by you to the Company of any tax
withholding obligation of the Company arising by reason of (1) the exercise of
your option, (2) the lapse of any substantial risk of forfeiture to which the
shares of Common Stock are subject at the time of exercise, or (3) the
disposition of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such exercise.

      9. TRANSFERABILITY. Your option is not transferable, except by will or by
the laws of descent and distribution, and is exercisable during your life only
by you. Notwithstanding the foregoing, by delivering written notice to the
Company, in a form satisfactory to the Company, you may designate a third party
who, in the event of your death, shall thereafter be entitled to exercise your
option.

      10. OPTION NOT A SERVICE CONTRACT. Your option is not an employment or
service contract, and nothing in your option shall be deemed to create in any
way whatsoever any obligation on your part to continue in the employ of the
Company or an Affiliate, or of the Company or an Affiliate to continue your
employment. In addition, nothing in your option shall obligate the Company or an
Affiliate, their respective shareholders, Boards of Directors, Officers or
Employees to continue any relationship that you might have as a Director or
Consultant for the Company or an Affiliate.
<PAGE>
      11. WITHHOLDING OBLIGATIONS.

            (a) At the time you exercise your option, in whole or in part, or at
any time thereafter as requested by the Company, you hereby authorize
withholding from payroll and any other amounts payable to you, and otherwise
agree to make adequate provision for (including by means of a "cashless
exercise" pursuant to a program developed under Regulation T as promulgated by
the Federal Reserve Board to the extent permitted by the Company), any sums
required to satisfy the federal, state, local and foreign tax withholding
obligations of the Company or an Affiliate, if any, which arise in connection
with your option.

            (b) Upon your request and subject to approval by the Company, in its
sole discretion, and compliance with any applicable conditions or restrictions
of law, the Company may withhold from fully vested shares of Common Stock
otherwise issuable to you upon the exercise of your option a number of whole
shares of Common Stock having a Fair Market Value, determined by the Company as
of the date of exercise, not in excess of the minimum amount of tax required to
be withheld by law. If the date of determination of any tax withholding
obligation is deferred to a date later than the date of exercise of your option,
share withholding pursuant to the preceding sentence shall not be permitted
unless you make a proper and timely election under Section 83(b) of the Code,
covering the aggregate number of shares of Common Stock acquired upon such
exercise with respect to which such determination is otherwise deferred, to
accelerate the determination of such tax withholding obligation to the date of
exercise of your option. Notwithstanding the filing of such election, shares of
Common Stock shall be withheld solely from fully vested shares of Common Stock
determined as of the date of exercise of your option that are otherwise issuable
to you upon such exercise. Any adverse consequences to you arising in connection
with such share withholding procedure shall be your sole responsibility.

            (c) You may not exercise your option unless the tax withholding
obligations of the Company and/or any Affiliate are satisfied. Accordingly, you
may not be able to exercise your option when desired even though your option is
vested, and the Company shall have no obligation to issue a certificate for such
shares of Common Stock or release such shares of Common Stock from any escrow
provided for herein.

      12. NOTICES. Any notices provided for in your option or the Plan shall be
given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon receipt or, in the
case of notices delivered by mail by the Company to you, five (5) days after
deposit in the United States mail, postage prepaid, addressed to you at the last
address you provided to the Company.

      13. GOVERNING PLAN DOCUMENT. Your option is subject to all the provisions
of the Plan, the provisions of which are hereby made a part of your option, and
is further subject to all interpretations, amendments, rules and regulations
which may from time to time be promulgated and adopted pursuant to the Plan. In
the event of any conflict between the provisions of your option and those of the
Plan, the provisions of the Plan shall control.