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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.8


                             GENOMIC SOLUTIONS INC.

           1998 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR AND CONSULTANT STOCK OPTION PLAN


                                   ARTICLE I.
                        PURPOSE AND ADOPTION OF THE PLAN

         1.01 PURPOSE. The purpose of the Genomic Solutions Inc. Non-Employee
Director and Consultant Stock Option Plan is to attract and retain the services
of experienced and knowledgeable independent directors and consultants of
Genomic Solutions Inc. (the "Company") and to provide an additional incentive
for such directors and consultants to continue to work for the best interests of
the Company and its stockholders.

         1.02 ADOPTION AND TERM. The Plan was approved by the Board on January
__, 1998, subject to approval of the Company's stockholders on or before January
__, 1999, and will remain in effect until all shares authorized under the terms
of the Plan have been issued, unless earlier terminated or abandoned by action
of the Board.

                                   ARTICLE II.
                                   DEFINITIONS

         2.01 BENEFICIARY means (a) an individual, trust or estate who or which,
by will or by operation of the laws of descent and distribution, succeeds to the
rights and obligations of the Non-Employee Director or Consultant under the Plan
and Option Agreement upon the Non-Employee Director or Consultant's death; or
(b) an individual, who by designation of the Non-Employee Director or
Consultant, succeeds to the rights and obligations of the Non-Employee Director
or Consultant under the Plan and Option Agreement upon the Non-Employee Director
or Consultant's death.

         2.02 BOARD means the Board of Directors of the Company.

         2.03 CHANGE OF CONTROL EVENT means (a) an event or series of events by
which any Person or other entity or group (as such term is used in Section 13(d)
and 14(d) of the Exchange Act) of Persons or other entities acting in concert as
a partnership or other group (a "Group of Persons") (other than Persons who are,
or Groups of Persons entirely made up of, (i) management personnel of the
Company or (ii) any affiliates of any such management personnel) shall, as a
result of a tender or exchange offer or offers, an open market purchase or
purchases, a privately negotiated purchase or purchases or otherwise, become the
beneficial owner (within the meaning of Rule 13d-3 under the Exchange Act,
except that a Person shall be deemed to have "beneficial ownership" of all
securities that such Person has the right to acquire, whether such right is
exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time), directly or
indirectly, of 20% or more of the combined voting power of the then outstanding
voting stock of the Company; (b) the Company consolidates with, or merges with
or into, another Person (other than a Subsidiary in a transaction which is not
otherwise a Change of Control Event), or sells, assigns, conveys, transfers,
leases or otherwise disposes of all or substantially all of its assets to any
Person, or any Person consolidates with, or merges with or into the Company, in
any such event pursuant to a transaction in which the outstanding voting stock
of the Company is converted into or exchanged for cash, securities or other
property; (c) during any consecutive two-year period, individuals who at the
beginning of such period constituted the Board (together with any new directors
whose election by such Board or whose nomination for election by the
stockholders of the Company, was approved by a vote of 66-2/3% of the directors
then still in office who were either directors at the beginning of such period
or whose election or nomination for election was previously so approved) cease
for any reason to constitute a majority of the Board then in office; or (d) any
liquidation or dissolution of the Company (other than a liquidation into a
Subsidiary that is not otherwise a Change of Control Event).


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         2.04 CODE means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
References to a section of the Code shall include that section and any
comparable section or sections of any future legislation that amends,
supplements or supersedes that section.

         2.05 COMPANY means Genomic Solutions Inc., a Delaware corporation.

         2.06 COMPANY COMMON STOCK means the Common Stock of the Company, par
value $0.001.

         2.07 CONSULTANT means an individual who provides consulting services to
the Company who is not an employee or a Director of the Company.

         2.08 DATE OF GRANT means: (a) with respect to Initial Options, the date
the Plan is adopted by the Board, or if later, the date an individual first
becomes a Director; and (b) with respect to Discretionary Options, the date the
Board authorizes the issuance of such options.

         2.09 DIRECTOR means a member of the Board of Directors of the Company.

         2.10 DISCRETIONARY OPTIONS has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01.

         2.11 EXCHANGE ACT means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended.

         2.12 EXPIRATION DATE means the date specified in an Option Agreement as
the expiration date of such Award.

         2.13 FAIR MARKET VALUE means, on any given date, the fair market value
of the Company Common Stock as determined in good faith by the Board; provided,
however, that: (a) if the Company Common Stock is admitted to quotation on the
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System ("Nasdaq")
SmallCap Market on the date the Option is granted, the Fair Market Value means
the average of the highest bid and lowest asked prices of the Company Common
Stock on Nasdaq reported for such date; (b) if the Company Common Stock is
admitted to trading on a national securities exchange or the Nasdaq National
Market on the date the Option is granted, the Fair Market Value means the
closing price reported for the Company Common Stock on such exchange or system
for such date or, if no sales were reported for such date, for the last date
preceding such date for which a sale was reported; and (c) the Fair Market Value
of the Company Common Stock on the effective date of the registration statement
for the Company's initial public offering shall be the initial offering price.

         2.14 INITIAL OPTION has the meaning set forth in Section 5.01.

         2.15 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR means a Director who is not an employee of
the Company or a Subsidiary.

         2.16 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION means a stock option which is not an
Incentive Stock Option as described in Section 422 of the Code.

         2.17 OPTION means a Non-Qualified Stock Option granted at any time
under the Plan.

         2.18 OPTION AGREEMENT means a written agreement between the Company and
the optionholder evidencing the grant of an Option and setting forth the terms
and conditions of the Option.

         2.19 PLAN means the Genomic Solutions Inc. 1998 Non-Employee Director
and


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Consultant Stock Option Plan, as described herein and as it may be amended from
time to time.

         2.20 PURCHASE PRICE, with respect to Options, has the meaning set forth
in Section 5.02.

         2.21 RULE 16B-3 means Rule 16b-3 promulgated by the Securities and
Exchange Commission under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, as currently in effect
and as it may be amended from time to time, and any successor rule.

         2.22 SUBSIDIARY shall have the meaning set forth in Section 424(f) of
the Code.

                                  ARTICLE III.
               COMPANY COMMON STOCK ISSUABLE PURSUANT TO THE PLAN

         3.01 SHARES ISSUABLE. Shares to be issued under the Plan may be
authorized and unissued shares or issued shares which have been reacquired by
the Company. Except as provided in Section 3.03, the Options granted under the
Plan shall be limited so that all shares which shall be issued upon the exercise
of outstanding Options shall not in the aggregate exceed 300,000.

         3.02 SHARES SUBJECT TO TERMINATED OPTIONS. In the event that any Option
at any time granted under the Plan shall be surrendered to the Company, be
terminated or expire before it shall have been fully exercised, then all shares
formerly subject to such Option as to which such Option shall not have been
exercised shall be available for any Option subsequently granted in accordance
with the Plan.

         3.03 ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT CAPITAL CHANGES.

              (a) RECAPITALIZATION. The number and kind of shares subject to
         outstanding Options, the Purchase Price for such shares, and the number
         and kind of shares available for Options subsequently granted under the
         Plan shall be appropriately adjusted to reflect any stock dividend,
         stock split, combination or exchange of shares, merger, consolidation
         or other change in capitalization with a similar substantive effect
         upon the Plan or the Options granted under the Plan. The Board shall
         have the power to determine the amount of the adjustment to be made in
         each case.

              (b) SALE OR REORGANIZATION. After any reorganization, merger or
         consolidation in which the Company is a surviving corporation, each
         Non-Employee Director and Consultant shall, at no additional cost, be
         entitled upon exercise of an Option to receive (subject to any required
         action by stockholders), in lieu of the number of shares of Company
         Common Stock receivable or exercisable pursuant to such Option, a
         number and class of shares of stock or other securities to which such
         Non-Employee Director or Consultant would have been entitled pursuant
         to the terms of the reorganization, merger or consolidation if, at the
         time of such reorganization, merger or consolidation, such Non-Employee
         Director or Consultant had been the holder of record of a number of
         shares of stock equal to the number of shares receivable or exercisable
         pursuant to such Option. Comparable rights shall accrue to each
         Non-Employee Director and Consultant in the event of successive
         reorganizations, mergers or consolidations of the character described
         above.


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                                   ARTICLE IV.
                                  PARTICIPATION

         4.01 ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS. All Non-Employee Directors and Consultants
of the Company shall be eligible to receive Options under the Plan.

                                   ARTICLE V.
                                  OPTION AWARDS

         5.01 GRANT OF OPTIONS.

              (a) INITIAL OPTIONS. Each of the Company's Non-Employee Directors,
         on the date the Plan is adopted by the Board, shall automatically
         receive a Non-Qualified Stock Option (the "Initial Option") to purchase
         Ten Thousand (10,000) shares, subject to adjustment in accordance with
         Section 3.03, of Company Common Stock on the date of adoption.
         Thereafter, each of the Company's Non-Employee Directors shall
         automatically receive the Initial Option, subject to adjustment in
         accordance with Section 3.03, on the day he or she first becomes a
         Director. Each Initial Option shall be evidenced by an Option
         Agreement.

              (b) DISCRETIONARY OPTIONS. The Board may grant, to each of the
         Company's Non-Employee Directors and Consultants, Non-Qualified Stock
         Options (the "Discretionary Options") to purchase Company Common Stock
         from the Company in such quantity and on such terms and subject to such
         conditions, not inconsistent with the terms of this Plan, as may be
         established by the Board. Each Discretionary Option shall be evidenced
         by an Option Agreement.

         5.02 PURCHASE PRICE OF OPTIONS. The Purchase Price of each share of
Company Common Stock which may be purchased upon exercise of an Option granted
under the Plan shall be 100% of the Fair Market Value on the Date of Grant.

         5.03 VESTING OF OPTIONS. No Option may be exercised prior to the date
one (1) year after the Date of Grant but each Option shall be fully (100%)
exercisable from and after the date one (1) year after the Date of Grant.

         5.04 DURATION OF OPTIONS. Options granted under the Plan shall
terminate after the first to occur of the following events:

              (a) Ten years from the Date of Grant.

              (b) In the case of a Non-Employee Director, three months after the
         Non-Employee Director ceases to be a Director, except in the case of
         death, as described in (c) below.

              (c) In the event of the death of a Non-Employee Director while a
         Director, the right to exercise all unexpired Options shall be
         accelerated and shall accrue as of the date of death, and the
         Non-Employee Director's Options may be exercised by his Beneficiary at
         any time within one year after the date of the Non-Employee Director's
         death. In the event of the death of a Non-Employee Director within the
         ninety day period after he or she ceases to be a Director, the
         Non-Employee Director's Beneficiary may exercise his or her Options, to
         the extent exercisable on the date of death, within one year after the
         date of the Non-Employee Director's death.


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              (d) In the event of the death of a Consultant, the right to
         exercise all unexpired Options shall be accelerated and shall accrue as
         of the date of death, and the Consultant's Options may be exercised by
         his Beneficiary at any time within one year after the date of the
         Consultant's death.

         5.05 EXERCISE PROCEDURES. Each Option granted under the Plan may be
exercised by written notice to the Company which must be received by the
Secretary of the Company on or before the Expiration Date of the Option. The
Purchase Price of shares purchased upon exercise of an Option granted under the
Plan shall be paid in full in cash by the Non-Employee Director or Consultant on
the date of exercise.

         5.06 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS' RIGHTS IN A CHANGE OF CONTROL. Unless
otherwise provided in the Option Agreement, and subject to such other terms and
conditions as the Board may establish in the Option Agreement, upon the
occurrence of a Change of Control Event, irrespective of whether or not an
Option is then exercisable, the Participant shall have the right to exercise in
full any unexpired Option to the extent not theretofore exercised or terminated.

         5.07 CONSULTANTS' RIGHTS IN A CHANGE OF CONTROL. The Board, in its sole
discretion, shall have the right (but shall not in any case be obligated) to
establish in the Option Agreement, upon the occurrence of a Change of Control
Event, irrespective of whether or not an Option is then exercisable, that the
Consultant shall have the right to exercise in full any unexpired Option to the
extent not theretofore exercised or terminated.

         5.08 RIGHTS AS A STOCKHOLDER. The Non-Employee Director, Consultant or
any transferee of an Option pursuant to Section 5.04(c) or Section 5.11 shall
have no rights as a stockholder with respect to any shares of Company Common
Stock covered by an Option until the Non-Employee Director, Consultant or
transferee shall have become the holder of record of any such shares, and no
adjustment shall be made for dividends and cash or other property or
distributions or other rights with respect to any such shares of Company Common
Stock for which the record date is prior to the date on which the Non-Employee
Director, Consultant or a transferee of the Option shall have become the holder
of record of any such shares covered by the Option.

         5.09 PLAN PROVISIONS CONTROL OPTION TERMS. The terms of the Plan shall
govern all Options granted under the Plan. In the event any provision of any
Option granted under the Plan shall conflict with any term in the Plan as
constituted on the Date of Grant of such Option, the term in the Plan as
constituted on the Date of Grant of such Option shall control. Except as
provided in Section 3.03, (i) the terms of any Option granted under the Plan may
not be changed after the granting of such Option without the express approval of
the Non-Employee Director or Consultant and (ii) no modification may be made to
an Option granted under the Plan except in compliance with Rule 16b-3.

         5.10 TAXES. The Company shall be entitled, if the Company deems it
necessary or desirable, to withhold (or secure payment from the Non-Employee
Director or Consultant in lieu of withholding) the amount of any withholding or
other tax required by law to be withheld or paid by the Company with respect to
any shares issuable upon exercise of an Option, and the Company may defer
issuance of the stock upon exercise unless indemnified to its satisfaction
against any liability for such tax.

         5.11 LIMITATIONS ON TRANSFER. A Non-Employee Director or Consultant's
rights and interest under the Plan may not be assigned or transferred other than
by will or the laws of descent and distribution. Notwithstanding the foregoing,
or any other provision of this Plan, a Non-Employee Director or Consultant may
transfer Options to his or her spouse, lineal ascendants, lineal descendants, or
to a duly established trust for the benefit of one or more of


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these individuals. Options so transferred may thereafter be transferred only to
the Non-Employee Director or Consultant who originally received the Options or
to an individual or trust to whom the Non-Employee Director or Consultant could
have initially transferred the Option pursuant to this Section 5.11. Options
which are transferred pursuant to this Section 5.11 shall be exercisable by the
transferee according to the same terms and conditions as applied to the
Non-Employee Director or Consultant.

                                   ARTICLE VI.
                               GENERAL PROVISIONS

         6.01 AMENDMENT AND TERMINATION OF PLAN.

              (a) AMENDMENT. The Board shall have complete power and authority
         to amend the Plan at any time as it deems necessary or appropriate and
         no approval by the stockholders of the Company or by any other person,
         committee or entity of any kind shall be required to make any
         amendment; provided, however, that the Board shall not, without the
         requisite affirmative approval of stockholders of the Company, make any
         amendment which requires stockholder approval under any applicable law,
         including Rule 16b-3 or the Code, unless such compliance, if
         discretionary, is no longer desired. No termination or amendment of the
         Plan may, without the consent of the Non-Employee Director or
         Consultant to whom any Option shall theretofore have been granted under
         the Plan, adversely affect the right of such individual under such
         Option. For the purposes of this section, an amendment to the Plan
         shall be deemed to have the affirmative approval of the stockholders of
         the Company if such amendment shall have been submitted for a vote by
         the stockholders at a duly called meeting of such stockholders at which
         a quorum was present and the majority of votes cast with respect to
         such amendment at such meeting shall have been cast in favor of such
         amendment, or if the holders of outstanding stock having not less than
         a majority of the outstanding shares consent to such amendment in
         writing in the manner provided under the Company's bylaws.

              (b) TERMINATION. The Board shall have the right and the power to
         terminate the Plan at any time. If the Plan is not earlier terminated,
         the Plan shall terminate when all shares authorized under the Plan have
         been issued. No Option shall be granted under the Plan after the
         termination of the Plan, but the termination of the Plan shall not have
         any other effect and any Option outstanding at the time of the
         termination of the Plan may be exercised after termination of the Plan
         at any time prior to the expiration date of such Option to the same
         extent such award would have been exercisable if the Plan had not been
         terminated.

         6.02 NO RIGHT TO CONTINUE AS DIRECTOR. Neither the Plan nor any action
taken hereunder shall be construed as giving any Non-Employee Director any right
to be retained as a Director, or to limit in any way the right of the
stockholders of the Company to remove such person as a Director.

         6.03 SECURITIES LAW RESTRICTIONS. The shares of Company Common Stock
issuable pursuant to the terms of any Options granted under the Plan may not be
issued by the Company without registration or qualification of such shares under
the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or under various state securities laws
or without an exemption from such registration requirements. Unless the shares
to be issued under the Plan have been registered and/or qualified as
appropriate, the Company shall be under no obligation to issue shares of Company
Common Stock upon exercise of an Option unless and until such time as there is
an appropriate exemption available from the registration or qualification
requirements of federal or state law as determined by the Company in its sole
discretion. The Company may require any person who is granted an award hereunder
to agree with the Company to represent and agree in writing that if such shares


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are issuable under an exemption from registration requirements, the shares will
be "restricted" securities which may be resold only in compliance with
applicable securities laws, and that such person is acquiring the shares issued
upon exercise of the Option for investment, and not with the view toward
distribution.

         6.04 NON-EXCLUSIVITY OF THE PLAN. Neither the adoption of the Plan by
the Board nor the submission of the Plan to the stockholders of the Company for
approval shall be construed as creating any limitations on the power of the
Board to adopt such other incentive arrangements as it may deem desirable,
including, without limitation, the granting of stock or stock options otherwise
than under the Plan.

         6.05 CAPTIONS. The captions (i.e., all section headings) used in the
Plan are for convenience only, do not constitute a part of the Plan, and shall
not be deemed to limit, characterize or affect in any way any provisions of the
Plan, and all provisions of the Plan shall be construed as if no captions have
been used in the Plan.

         6.06 SEVERABILITY. Whenever possible, each provision in the Plan and
every Option at any time granted under the Plan shall be interpreted in such a
manner as to be effective and valid under applicable law, but if any provision
of the Plan or any Option at any time granted under the Plan shall be held to be
prohibited or invalid under applicable law, then (a) such provision shall be
deemed amended to accomplish the objectives of the provision as originally
written to the fullest extent permitted by law and (b) all other provisions of
the Plan and every other Option at any time granted under the Plan shall remain
in full force and effect.

         6.07 CHOICE OF LAW. All determinations made and actions taken pursuant
to the Plan shall be governed by the laws of Delaware and construed in
accordance therewith.


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              AMENDMENT TO GENOMIC SOLUTIONS INC. 1998 NON-EMPLOYEE
                   DIRECTOR AND CONSULTANT STOCK OPTION PLAN

THIS AMENDMENT to the GENOMIC SOLUTIONS INC. 1998 NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTOR AND
CONSULTANT STOCK OPTION PLAN is made as of February 10, 2000, but effective as
of the closing of the Company's Qualified Initial Public Offering, as defined
below.

1.       Section 2.06 of the Plan is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced
with the following Section 2.06:

                  2.06 COMPANY COMMON STOCK means, in the event the Company
         completes a Qualified Initial Public Offering, the Callable Common
         Stock of the Company, par value $0.001, which is callable until the
         expiration of the period (the "Call Period") for which PerkinElmer,
         Inc., a Massachusetts corporation ("PKI"), has a right to cause the
         Company to redeem the Callable Common Stock. After expiration of the
         Call Period, or in the event the Company does not complete a Qualified
         Initial Public Offering prior to expiration of the Call Period, Company
         Common Stock means the Common Stock of the Company, par value $0.001. A
         "Qualified Initial Public Offering" means an initial public offering by
         us for an aggregate offering price of at least $20 million, firmly
         underwritten by a nationally recognized underwriter, that results in
         our stock being listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the Nasdaq
         National Market System.

2.       Section 3.01 of the Plan is hereby deleted in its entirety and replaced
with the following Section 3.01:

                  3.01 SHARES ISSUABLE. Shares to be issued under the Plan may
         be authorized and unissued shares or issued shares that have been
         reacquired by the Company. Except as provided in Section 3.03, the
         Options granted under the Plan shall be limited so that all shares
         which shall be issued upon the exercise of outstanding Options shall
         not in the aggregate exceed 750,000.

3.       Section 3.03 of the Plan is hereby amended to read as follows:

                     3.03    ADJUSTMENTS TO REFLECT CAPITAL CHANGES.

                     (a) RECAPITALIZATION. The number and kind of shares subject
                  to outstanding Options, the Purchase Price for such shares,
                  and the number and kind of shares available for Options
                  subsequently granted under the Plan shall be appropriately
                  adjusted to reflect any stock dividend, stock split,
                  combination or exchange of shares,

<PAGE>   9

                  merger, consolidation or other change in capitalization with a
                  similar substantive effect upon the Plan or the Options
                  granted under the Plan. The Board shall have the power to
                  determine the amount of the adjustment to be made in each
                  case.

                     (b) SALE OR REORGANIZATION. After any reorganization,
                  merger or consolidation in which the Company is a surviving
                  corporation, each Non-Employee Director and Consultant shall,
                  at no additional cost, be entitled upon exercise of an Option
                  to receive (subject to any required action by stockholders),
                  in lieu of the number of shares of Company Common Stock
                  receivable or exercisable pursuant to such Option, a number
                  and class of shares of stock or other securities to which such
                  Non-Employee Director or Consultant would have been entitled
                  pursuant to the terms of the reorganization, merger or
                  consolidation if, at the time of such reorganization, merger
                  or consolidation, such Non-Employee Director or Consultant had
                  been the holder of record of a number of shares of stock equal
                  to the number of shares receivable or exercisable pursuant to
                  such Option. Comparable rights shall accrue to each
                  Non-Employee Director and Consultant in the event of
                  successive reorganizations, mergers or consolidations of the
                  character described above.

                           (C) EFFECT OF EXERCISE OF PERKINELMER, INC. OPTION.
                  If PKI exercises its option pursuant to the Securities
                  Purchase Agreements (defined below) or exercises its right to
                  cause the Company to redeem the Company Common Stock, and PKI
                  notifies the Company that it will not assume the Options
                  previously granted under this Plan and substitute for such
                  Options new options, or if PKI fails to timely notify the
                  Company that it will assume and substitute the Options (both
                  within the meaning of Section 424(a) of the Code), each Option
                  then outstanding and exercisable will be deemed, to the extent
                  vested, exercised in full immediately prior to the exercise of
                  PKI's option pursuant to the Securities Purchase Agreements or
                  redemption by the Company at the direction of PKI, as the case
                  may be, and the Option shall thereupon be cancelled. If at
                  that time, the Company Common Stock is callable, all Company
                  Common Stock deemed issued under the Option will be redeemed
                  by the Company at the same time the shares of Company Common
                  Stock are redeemed. If at that time, the Company Common Stock
                  is not callable, all Company Common Stock deemed issued under
                  the Option will be transferred to PKI in accordance with the
                  terms of the Securities Purchase Agreements. If the Company
                  Common Stock is redeemed by the Company, the holder shall
                  receive the redemption price per share, as defined in the
                  Company's Third

<PAGE>   10


                  Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, net of any
                  exercise price payable by the holder and less any taxes
                  withheld pursuant to Section 5.10 of the Plan. If the Company
                  Common Stock is transferred to PKI pursuant to the terms of
                  the Securities Purchase Agreements, the holder shall receive
                  the purchase price per share, as defined in the Securities
                  Purchase Agreements, net of any exercise price payable by the
                  holder and less any taxes withheld pursuant to Section 5.10 of
                  the Plan. The "Securities Purchase Agreements" are those
                  agreements entered into between PKI and holders of the
                  Company's equity securities, dated January 26, 2000.


4.       The terms and provisions of the Plan shall in all other regards remain
in full force and effect.