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                                                                   EXHIBIT 10.26

                               INVITROGEN CORPORATION

                        2000 NONSTATUTORY STOCK OPTION PLAN


     1.        ESTABLISHMENT, PURPOSE AND TERM OF PLAN.

          1.1       ESTABLISHMENT.  The Invitrogen Corporation 2000 Nonstatutory
Stock Option Plan (the "PLAN") is hereby established effective as of January 21,
2000.

          1.2       PURPOSE.  The purpose of the Plan is to advance the
interests of the Participating Company Group and its stockholders by providing
an incentive to attract and retain persons performing services for the
Participating Company Group and by motivating such persons to contribute to the
growth and profitability of the Participating Company Group.

          1.3       TERM OF PLAN.  The Plan shall continue in effect until the
earlier of its termination by the Board or the date on which all of the shares
of Stock available for issuance under the Plan have been issued and all
restrictions on such shares under the terms of the Plan and the agreements
evidencing Options granted under the Plan have lapsed.

     2.        DEFINITIONS AND CONSTRUCTION.

          2.1       DEFINITIONS.  Whenever used herein, the following terms
shall have their respective meanings set forth below:

                    (a)       "BOARD" means the Board of Directors of the
Company.  If one or more Committees have been appointed by the Board to
administer the Plan, "Board" also means such Committee(s).

                    (b)       "CODE" means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended, and any applicable regulations promulgated thereunder.

                    (c)       "COMMITTEE" means the Compensation Committee or
other committee of the Board duly appointed to administer the Plan and having
such powers as shall be specified by the Board.  Unless the powers of the
Committee have been specifically limited, the Committee shall have all of the
powers of the Board granted herein, including, without limitation, the power to
amend or terminate the Plan at any time, subject to the terms of the Plan and
any applicable limitations imposed by law.

                    (d)       "COMPANY" means Invitrogen Corporation, a Delaware
corporation, or any successor corporation thereto.

                    (e)       "CONSULTANT" means any person, including an
advisor, engaged by a Participating Company to render services other than as an
Employee or a Director.


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                    (f)       "DIRECTOR" means a member of the Board or of the
board of directors of any other Participating Company.

                    (g)       "EMPLOYEE" means any person treated as an employee
(including an officer or a Director who is also treated as an employee) in the
records of a Participating Company; provided, however, that neither service as a
Director nor payment of a director's fee shall be sufficient to constitute
employment for purposes of the Plan.

                    (h)       "FAIR MARKET VALUE" means, as of any date, the
value of a share of Stock or other property as determined by the Board, in its
sole discretion, or by the Company, in its sole discretion, if such
determination is expressly allocated to the Company herein, subject to the
following:

                         (i)       If, on such date, there is a public market
for the Stock, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be the closing
sale price of a share of Stock (or the mean of the closing bid and asked
prices of a share of Stock if the Stock is so quoted instead) as quoted on
the Nasdaq National Market, the Nasdaq Small-Cap Market or such other
national or regional securities exchange or market system constituting the
primary market for the Stock, as reported in the WALL STREET JOURNAL or such
other source as the Company deems reliable.  If the relevant date does not
fall on a day on which the Stock has traded on such securities exchange or
market system, the date on which the Fair Market Value shall be established
shall be the last day on which the Stock was so traded prior to the relevant
date, or such other appropriate day as shall be determined by the Board, in
its sole discretion.

                         (ii)      If, on such date, there is no public
market for the Stock, the Fair Market Value of a share of Stock shall be as
determined by the Board without regard to any restriction other than a
restriction which, by its terms, will never lapse.

                    (i)       "OPTION" means a right to purchase Stock (subject
to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2) pursuant to the terms and conditions
of the Plan.  Options are intended to be nonstatutory stock options and shall
not be treated as incentive stock options within the meaning of Section 422(b)
of the Code.

                    (j)       "OPTION AGREEMENT" means a written agreement
between the Company and an Optionee setting forth the terms, conditions and
restrictions of the Option granted to the Optionee and any shares acquired upon
the exercise thereof.

                    (k)       "OPTIONEE" means a person who has been granted one
or more Options.

                    (l)       "PARENT CORPORATION" means any present or future
"parent corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(e) of the Code.

                    (m)       "PARTICIPATING COMPANY" means the Company or any
Parent Corporation or Subsidiary Corporation.

                    (n)       "PARTICIPATING COMPANY GROUP" means, at any point
in time, all corporations collectively which are then Participating Companies.


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                    (o)       "STOCK" means the common stock of the Company, as
adjusted from time to time in accordance with Section 4.2.

                    (p)       "SUBSIDIARY CORPORATION" means any present or
future "subsidiary corporation" of the Company, as defined in Section 424(f) of
the Code.

          2.2       CONSTRUCTION.  Captions and titles contained herein are for
convenience only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of any
provision of the Plan.  Except when otherwise indicated by the context, the
singular shall include the plural and the plural shall include the singular.
Use of the term "or" is not intended to be exclusive, unless the context clearly
requires otherwise.

     3.        ADMINISTRATION.

          3.1       ADMINISTRATION BY THE BOARD.  The Plan shall be administered
by the Board.  All questions of interpretation of the Plan or of any Option
shall be determined by the Board, and such determinations shall be final and
binding upon all persons having an interest in the Plan or such Option.  Any
officer of a Participating Company shall have the authority to act on behalf of
the Company with respect to any matter, right, obligation, determination or
election which is the responsibility of or which is allocated to the Company
herein, provided the officer has apparent authority with respect to such matter,
right, obligation, determination or election.

          3.2       POWERS OF THE BOARD.  In addition to any other powers set
forth in the Plan and subject to the provisions of the Plan, the Board shall
have the full and final power and authority, in its sole discretion:

                    (a)       to determine the persons to whom, and the time or
times at which, Options shall be granted and the number of shares of Stock to be
subject to each Option;

                    (b)       to determine the Fair Market Value of shares of
Stock or other property;

                    (c)       to determine the terms, conditions and
restrictions applicable to each Option (which need not be identical) and any
shares acquired upon the exercise thereof, including, without limitation,
(i) the exercise price of the Option, (ii) the method of payment for shares
purchased upon the exercise of the Option, (iii) the method for satisfaction of
any tax withholding obligation arising in connection with the Option or such
shares, including by the withholding or delivery of shares of stock, (iv) the
timing, terms and conditions of the exercisability of the Option or the vesting
of any shares acquired upon the exercise thereof, (v) the time of the expiration
of the Option, (vi) the effect of the Optionee's termination of employment or
service with the Participating Company Group on any of the foregoing, and
(vii) all other terms, conditions and restrictions applicable to the Option or
such shares not inconsistent with the terms of the Plan;

                    (d)       to approve one or more forms of Option Agreement;


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                    (e)       to amend, modify, extend, cancel, renew, or grant
a new Option in substitution for, any Option or to waive any restrictions or
conditions applicable to any Option or any shares acquired upon the exercise
thereof;

                    (f)       to accelerate, continue, extend or defer the
exercisability of any Option or the vesting of any shares acquired upon the
exercise thereof, including with respect to the period following an Optionee's
termination of employment or service with the Participating Company Group;

                    (g)       to prescribe, amend or rescind rules, guidelines
and policies relating to the Plan, or to adopt supplements to, or alternative
versions of, the Plan, including, without limitation, as the Board deems
necessary or desirable to comply with the laws of, or to accommodate the tax
policy or custom of, foreign jurisdictions whose citizens may be granted
Options; and

                    (h)       to correct any defect, supply any omission or
reconcile any inconsistency in the Plan or any Option Agreement and to make all
other determinations and take such other actions with respect to the Plan or any
Option as the Board may deem advisable to the extent consistent with the Plan
and applicable law.

     4.        SHARES SUBJECT TO PLAN.

          4.1       MAXIMUM NUMBER OF SHARES ISSUABLE.  Subject to adjustment as
provided in Section 4.2, the maximum aggregate number of shares of Stock that
may be issued under the Plan shall be 800,000 and shall consist of authorized
but unissued or reacquired shares of Stock or any combination thereof.  If an
outstanding Option for any reason expires or is terminated or canceled, or if
shares of Stock acquired, subject to repurchase, upon the exercise of an Option
are repurchased by the Company, the shares of Stock allocable to the unexercised
portion of such Option or such repurchased shares of Stock shall again be
available for issuance under the Plan.

          4.2       ADJUSTMENTS FOR CHANGES IN CAPITAL STRUCTURE.  In the event
of any stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, recapitalization,
combination, reclassification or similar change in the capital structure of the
Company, appropriate adjustments shall be made in the number and class of shares
subject to the Plan and to any outstanding Options and in the exercise price per
share of any outstanding Options.  If a majority of the shares which are of the
same class as the shares that are subject to outstanding Options are exchanged
for, converted into, or otherwise become (whether or not pursuant to an
Ownership Change Event, as defined in Section 8.1) shares of another corporation
(the "NEW SHARES"), the Board may unilaterally amend the outstanding Options to
provide that such Options are exercisable for New Shares.  In the event of any
such amendment, the number of shares subject to, and the exercise price per
share of, the outstanding Options shall be adjusted in a fair and equitable
manner as determined by the Board, in its sole discretion.  Notwithstanding the
foregoing, any fractional share resulting from an adjustment pursuant to this
Section 4.2 shall be rounded up or down to the nearest whole number, as
determined by the Board, and in no event may the exercise price of any Option be
decreased to an amount less than the par value, if any, of the stock subject to
the Option.  The


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adjustments determined by the Board pursuant to this Section 4.2 shall be
final, binding and conclusive.

     5.        ELIGIBILITY.  Options may be granted only to Employees and
Consultants; provided, however, that no Option shall be granted to any person
whose eligibility to receive an Option at the time of grant would require the
approval of the Company's stockholders pursuant to any applicable law,
regulation or rule, including, without limitation, the rules applicable to the
listing of the Company's securities on the Nasdaq National Market.  For purposes
of the foregoing sentence, "Employees" and "Consultants" shall include
prospective Employees and prospective Consultants to whom Options are granted in
connection with written offers of employment or other service relationship with
the Participating Company Group.  Eligible persons may be granted more than one
(1) Option.

     6.        TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF OPTIONS.  Options shall be evidenced by
Option Agreements specifying the number of shares of Stock covered thereby, in
such form as the Board shall from time to time establish.  No Option or
purported Option shall be a valid and binding obligation of the Company unless
evidenced by a fully executed Option Agreement.  Option Agreements may
incorporate all or any of the terms of the Plan by reference and shall comply
with and be subject to the following terms and conditions:

          6.1       EXERCISE PRICE.  The exercise price for each Option shall be
established in the sole discretion of the Board; provided, however, that the
exercise price per share for an Option shall be not less than the Fair Market
Value of a share of Stock on the effective date of grant of the Option.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, an Option may be granted with an exercise price
lower than the minimum exercise price set forth above if such Option is granted
pursuant to an assumption or substitution for another option in a manner
qualifying under the provisions of Section 424(a) of the Code.

          6.2       EXERCISE PERIOD.  Options shall be exercisable at such time
or times, or upon such event or events, and subject to such terms, conditions,
performance criteria, and restrictions as shall be determined by the Board and
set forth in the Option Agreement evidencing such Option; provided, however,
that no Option granted to a prospective Employee or prospective Consultant may
become exercisable prior to the date on which such person commences service with
a Participating Company.

          6.3       PAYMENT OF EXERCISE PRICE.

                    (a)       FORMS OF CONSIDERATION AUTHORIZED.  Except as
otherwise provided below, payment of the exercise price for the number of shares
of Stock being purchased pursuant to any Option shall be made (i) in cash, by
check, or cash equivalent, (ii) by tender to the Company of shares of Stock
owned by the Optionee having a Fair Market Value (as determined by the Company
without regard to any restrictions on transferability applicable to such stock
by reason of federal or state securities laws or agreements with an underwriter
for the Company) not less than the exercise price, (iii) by the assignment of
the proceeds of a sale or loan with respect to some or all of the shares being
acquired upon the exercise of the Option (including, without limitation, through
an exercise complying with the provisions of Regulation T as promulgated from
time to time by the Board of Governors of the Federal


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Reserve System) (a "CASHLESS EXERCISE"), [(iv) BY THE OPTIONEE'S PROMISSORY
NOTE IN A FORM APPROVED BY THE COMPANY, PROVIDED THAT IF THE COMPANY IS
INCORPORATED IN THE STATE OF DELAWARE AT THE TIME OF EXERCISE, THE OPTIONEE
SHALL PAY IN CASH THAT PORTION OF THE EXERCISE PRICE NOT LESS THAN THE PAR
VALUE OF THE SHARES BEING ACQUIRED], (v) by such other consideration as may
be approved by the Board from time to time to the extent permitted by
applicable law, or (vi) by any combination thereof.  The Board may at any
time or from time to time, by adoption of or by amendment to the standard
forms of Option Agreement described in Section 7, or by other means, grant
Options which do not permit all of the foregoing forms of consideration to be
used in payment of the exercise price or which otherwise restrict one or more
forms of consideration.

                    (b)       TENDER OF STOCK.  Notwithstanding the foregoing,
an Option may not be exercised by tender to the Company of shares of Stock to
the extent such tender of Stock would constitute a violation of the provisions
of any law, regulation or agreement restricting the redemption of the Company's
stock.  Unless otherwise provided by the Board, an Option may not be exercised
by tender to the Company of shares of Stock unless such shares either have been
owned by the Optionee for more than six (6) months or were not acquired,
directly or indirectly, from the Company.

                    (c)       CASHLESS EXERCISE.  The Company reserves, at any
and all times, the right, in the Company's sole and absolute discretion, to
establish, decline to approve or terminate any program or procedures for the
exercise of Options by means of a Cashless Exercise.

                    (d)       PAYMENT BY PROMISSORY NOTE.  No promissory note
shall be permitted if the exercise of an Option using a promissory note would be
a violation of any law.  Any permitted promissory note shall be on such terms as
the Board shall determine at the time the Option is granted.  The Board shall
have the authority to permit or require the Optionee to secure any promissory
note used to exercise an Option with the shares of Stock acquired upon the
exercise of the Option or with other collateral acceptable to the Company.
Unless otherwise provided by the Board, if the Company at any time is subject to
the regulations promulgated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve
System or any other governmental entity affecting the extension of credit in
connection with the Company's securities, any promissory note shall comply with
such applicable regulations, and the Optionee shall pay the unpaid principal and
accrued interest, if any, to the extent necessary to comply with such applicable
regulations.

          6.4       TAX WITHHOLDING.  The Company shall have the right, but not
the obligation, to deduct from the shares of Stock issuable upon the exercise of
an Option, or to accept from the Optionee the tender of, a number of whole
shares of Stock having a Fair Market Value, as determined by the Company, equal
to all or any part of the federal, state, local and foreign taxes, if any,
required by law to be withheld by the Participating Company Group with respect
to such Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof.  Alternatively
or in addition, in its sole discretion, the Company shall have the right to
require the Optionee, through payroll withholding, cash payment or otherwise,
including by means of a Cashless Exercise, to make adequate provision for any
such tax withholding obligations of the Participating Company Group arising in
connection with the Option or the shares acquired upon the exercise thereof.


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The Company shall have no obligation to deliver shares of Stock or to release
shares of Stock from an escrow established pursuant to the Option Agreement
until the Participating Company Group's tax withholding obligations have been
satisfied by the Optionee.

     7.        STANDARD FORM OF OPTION AGREEMENT.

          7.1       GENERAL.  Unless otherwise provided by the Board at the time
the Option is granted, an Option shall comply with and be subject to the terms
and conditions set forth in the form of Nonstatutory Stock Option Agreement
adopted by the Board concurrently with its adoption of the Plan and as amended
from time to time.

          7.2       STANDARD TERM OF OPTIONS.  Except as otherwise provided by
the Board in the grant of an Option, any Option granted hereunder shall have a
term of ten (10) years from the effective date of grant of the Option.

          7.3       AUTHORITY TO VARY TERMS.  The Board shall have the authority
from time to time to vary the terms of any standard form of Option Agreement
described in this Section 7 either in connection with the grant or amendment of
an individual Option or in connection with the authorization of a new standard
form or forms; provided, however, that the terms and conditions of any such new,
revised or amended standard form or forms of Option Agreement are not
inconsistent with the terms of the Plan.

     8.        TRANSFER OF CONTROL.

          8.1       DEFINITIONS.

                    (a)       An "OWNERSHIP CHANGE EVENT" shall be deemed to
have occurred if any of the following occurs with respect to the Company:

                         (i)       the direct or indirect sale or exchange in
a single or series of related transactions by the stockholders of the Company
of more than fifty percent (50%) of the voting stock of the Company;

                         (ii)      a merger or consolidation in which the
Company is a party;

                         (iii)     the sale, exchange, or transfer of all or
substantially all of the assets of the Company; or

                         (iv)      a liquidation or dissolution of the
Company.

                    (b)       A "TRANSFER OF CONTROL" shall mean an Ownership
Change Event or a series of related Ownership Change Events (collectively, the
"TRANSACTION") wherein the stockholders of the Company immediately before the
Transaction do not retain immediately after the Transaction, in substantially
the same proportions as their ownership of shares of the Company's voting stock
immediately before the Transaction, direct or indirect beneficial ownership of
more than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of the
outstanding voting stock of the Company or the corporation or corporations to
which the assets


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of the Company were transferred (the "TRANSFEREE CORPORATION(S)"), as the
case may be.  For purposes of the preceding sentence, indirect beneficial
ownership shall include, without limitation, an interest resulting from
ownership of the voting stock of one or more corporations which, as a result
of the Transaction, own the Company or the Transferee Corporation(s), as the
case may be, either directly or through one or more subsidiary corporations.
The Board shall have the right to determine whether multiple sales or
exchanges of the voting stock of the Company or multiple Ownership Change
Events are related, and its determination shall be final, binding and
conclusive.

          8.2       EFFECT OF TRANSFER OF CONTROL ON OPTIONS.  In the event of a
Transfer of Control, the percentage of the Option that has vested shall be
adjusted to 100% (if not already at that percentage) on the date that the
Company mails the Optionee notice  of the Transfer of Control at the last
address shown on the records of the Company for such Optionee  (the "NOTICE"),
unless the surviving, continuing, successor, or purchasing corporation or parent
corporation thereof, as the case may be (the "ACQUIRING CORPORATION"), either
assumes the Company's rights and obligations under outstanding Options or
substitutes for outstanding Options substantially equivalent options for the
Acquiring Corporation's stock.   Any Options which are neither assumed or
substituted for by the Acquiring Corporation in connection with the Transfer of
Control nor exercised as of the date fifteen days after the Notice of the
Transfer of Control shall terminate and cease to be outstanding effective upon
the later of (i) the date of the Transfer of Control or (ii) fifteen days after
mailing of the Notice.  For purposes of this Section 8.2, an Option shall be
deemed assumed if, following the Transfer of Control, the Option confers the
right to purchase in accordance with its terms and conditions, for each share of
Stock subject to the Option immediately prior to the Transfer of Control, the
consideration (whether stock, cash or other securities or property) to which a
holder of a share of Stock on the effective date of the Transfer of Control was
entitled.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, shares acquired upon exercise of an
Option prior to the Transfer of Control and any consideration received pursuant
to the Transfer of Control with respect to such shares shall continue to be
subject to all applicable provisions of the Option Agreement evidencing such
Option except as otherwise provided in such Option Agreement.  Furthermore,
notwithstanding the foregoing, if the corporation the stock of which is subject
to the outstanding Options immediately prior to an Ownership Change Event
described in Section 8.1(a)(i) constituting a Transfer of Control is the
surviving or continuing corporation and immediately after such Ownership Change
Event less than fifty percent (50%) of the total combined voting power of its
voting stock is held by another corporation or by other corporations that are
members of an affiliated group within the meaning of Section 1504(a) of the Code
without regard to the provisions of Section 1504(b) of the Code, the outstanding
Options shall not terminate unless the Board otherwise provides in its sole
discretion."

     9.        NONTRANSFERABILITY OF OPTIONS.  During the lifetime of the
Optionee, an Option shall be exercisable only by the Optionee or the Optionee's
guardian or legal representative.  No Option shall be assignable or transferable
by the Optionee, except by will or by the laws of descent and distribution.

     10.       INDEMNIFICATION.  In addition to such other rights of
indemnification as they may have as members of the Board or officers or
employees of the Participating Company Group, members of the Board and any
officers or employees of the Participating Company


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Group to whom authority to act for the Board or the Company is delegated
shall be indemnified by the Company against all reasonable expenses,
including attorneys' fees, actually and necessarily incurred in connection
with the defense of any action, suit or proceeding, or in connection with any
appeal therein, to which they or any of them may be a party by reason of any
action taken or failure to act under or in connection with the Plan, or any
right granted hereunder, and against all amounts paid by them in settlement
thereof (provided such settlement is approved by independent legal counsel
selected by the Company) or paid by them in satisfaction of a judgment in any
such action, suit or proceeding, except in relation to matters as to which it
shall be adjudged in such action, suit or proceeding that such person is
liable for gross negligence, bad faith or intentional misconduct in duties;
provided, however, that within sixty (60) days after the institution of such
action, suit or proceeding, such person shall offer to the Company, in
writing, the opportunity at its own expense to handle and defend the same.

     11.       TERMINATION OR AMENDMENT OF PLAN.  The Board may terminate or
amend the Plan at any time.  However, no termination or amendment of the Plan
may adversely affect any then outstanding Option or any unexercised portion
thereof, without the consent of the Optionee, unless such termination or
amendment is necessary to comply with any applicable law, regulation or rule.



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