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                                                                EXHIBIT 10.26(a)


                      FIRST AMENDMENT TO LICENSE AGREEMENT


         This First Amendment to License Agreement ("Amendment") is made
effective as of the 1st day of January, 2002, by and between Genomic Solutions
Inc., a Delaware corporation ("GENOMIC") and Affymetrix, Inc., a Delaware
corporation ("Affymetrix").

         The following facts underlie this Amendment:

         Pursuant to a certain License Agreement executed December 28, 2000 (the
         "License Agreement"), GENOMIC obtained a non-exclusive license to
         practice certain patent and other rights of Affymetrix. The parties now
         desire to amend the License Agreement pursuant to the terms and
         conditions of this Amendment.

         NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants and
undertakings set forth herein and in the License Agreement, the parties agree as
follows:

         1.       DEFINITIONS. All capitalized terms not defined in this
                  Amendment shall have the meaning set forth in the License
                  Agreement. In addition, the License Agreement is amended to
                  add the following new or substitute defined terms, as
                  applicable:

         a)       Replace Section 1.10 with the following:

                  "Gene" shall refer to a nucleic acid sequence representing or
                  encoding a distinct messenger RNA or protein as well as
                  polymorphic variants of such sequence, provided that such
                  polymorphic variants must have at least ninety-nine and nine
                  tenths percent (99.9%) homology with the underlying gene.

         b)       Replace Section 1.11 with the following:

                  "Licensed Genetic Analysis Field" shall mean the measurement
                  of the presence, absence or level of an expressed Gene in
                  cells for use in pharmaceutical and diagnostic research
                  provided that any one Nucleic Acid Array shall be capable of
                  measuring up to but not exceeding *** Unique Elements using
                  up to but not exceeding *** Spots.

         c)       Change "diverse nucleic acids or polynucleotides" to "Unique
                  Elements" in Section 1.14.


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         d)       Add new definition 1.18 as follows:

                  "Unique Element" shall mean up to two different nucleic acid
                  sequences or polynucleotides designed or intended to measure
                  the presence, absence or level of a single Gene.


         2.       ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS:

         a)       Replace the 3rd sentence of Section 2.1 with the following:

                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, GENOMIC's license to
                           use for contract services, import, lease, distribute,
                           offer for sale and sell such Form Factor Compatible
                           Nucleic Acid Arrays (all as provided above)
                           containing fully synthesized oligonucleotides shall
                           become effective on ***, and GENOMIC's license to
                           make, but not have made, use, import, lease,
                           distribute, offer for sale and sell such Nucleic Acid
                           Arrays (all as provided above) containing clones or
                           PCR products shall expire on ***; GENOMIC has the
                           option to extend such license for Nucleic Acid Arrays
                           containing clones or PCR products until *** by
                           providing written notice to Affymetrix prior to ***
                           that GENOMIC has exercised such option and paying
                           Affymetrix the license extension fee set forth in
                           Section 3.3.

         b)       Add the following at the end of Section 2.1:

                           The parties acknowledge that GENOMIC may have
                           opportunities for sales of Custom Arrays to bona fide
                           clients whose Unique Element and Spot requirements
                           exceed the number of permitted Unique Elements and
                           Spots in the Licensed Genetic Analysis Field and
                           sales to such clients will benefit both GENOMIC and
                           Affymetrix. GENOMIC's license under this Section 2.1
                           shall include the right to manufacture and sell
                           Custom Arrays exceeding the Unique Element and Spot
                           limitation set forth in this Agreement if, and only
                           if, the following conditions are met by GENOMIC and
                           GENOMIC obtains Affymetrix' prior written consent
                           which may be granted or withheld in Affymetrix' sole
                           discretion: (A) the materials spotted onto the Custom
                           Arrays by GENOMIC (i) are unique to that bona fide
                           customer, (ii) are limited to cDNA, clonal DNA or PCR
                           products, and (iii) are not purchased by or on behalf
                           of GENOMIC or any of GENOMIC's customers through any
                           third party, and (B) any one Custom Array shall be
                           capable of measuring



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                  up to but not exceeding *** Unique Elements using up to but
                  not exceeding *** Spots. Notwithstanding anything to the
                  contrary herein, the annual sales of such Custom Arrays that
                  exceed the Unique Element and Spot limitation set forth in
                  this Agreement shall not exceed *** of GENOMIC's total annual
                  Net Sales. For purposes of obtaining such written consent, the
                  following procedures shall govern:

                           2.1.1   GENOMIC shall notify Affymetrix in writing of
                                   its desire to obtain Affymetrix' consent to a
                                   limited waiver of the Unique Element and Spot
                                   limitation to permit a particular Custom
                                   Array opportunity to a bona fide customer.
                                   Such written notice shall be made to an
                                   Affymetrix designated licensing contact who
                                   shall initially be Cindy Dolan. In connection
                                   with such written request, GENOMIC shall be
                                   required to identify the particular bona fide
                                   client and shall otherwise be permitted to
                                   respect confidentiality agreements. During
                                   the term of this Agreement, Affymetrix agrees
                                   that it will not offer its products or
                                   services to a bona fide client of GENOMIC
                                   identified to Affymetrix hereunder that are
                                   substantially similar to a Custom Array
                                   opportunity that meets the requirements set
                                   forth in clauses (A) and (B) of the preceding
                                   paragraph of this Amendment. Notwithstanding
                                   anything to the contrary herein, Affymetrix
                                   may offer any of its products or services,
                                   including, without limitation, Affymetrix'
                                   GeneChip Custom Array and CustomExpress
                                   Arrays, to potential customers that are
                                   independently identified by Affymetrix
                                   without the use of the names of clients
                                   identified by GENOMIC to Affymetrix
                                   hereunder.

                           2.1.2   Affymetrix shall consider GENOMIC's consent
                                   request and shall respond to GENOMIC's
                                   request within ten (10) business days after
                                   receipt of GENOMIC's request.

                           2.1.3   All such sales of Custom Arrays shall be
                                   subject to the Royalties as provided in
                                   Section 3.2.2 unless the parties agree in
                                   writing to a different royalty.

         c)       Replace Section 3.2.1 with the following:


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                           A minimum sum of *** for Contract Year 2 and a
                           minimum sum of Two Hundred Fifty Thousand *** for
                           each of the remaining Contract Years of this
                           Agreement, provided that any royalties in excess of a
                           particular Contract Year minimum shall be applied
                           against the minimum for the next Contract Year; or

         d)       Replace Section 3.2.2 and Table I with the following:

                           A royalty on Net Sales calculated as follows for each
                           Nucleic Acid Array used, leased, sold or transferred
                           to an End User or to a Distributor pursuant to the
                           licenses granted in Section 2 hereof:

                           In Contract Year 2, the greater of:

                                   (i)    *** of Net Sales

                                   OR:

                                   (ii)   *** Unique Elements - $***per Unique
                                          Element

                                          Greater than *** Unique Elements -
                                          $***per Unique Element


                           In Contract Year 3, the greater of:

                                    (i)   *** of Net Sales


                                    OR:

                                    (ii)  *** Unique Elements - $*** per
                                          Unique Element

                                          Greater than *** Unique Elements -
                                          $*** per Unique Element

                           In Contract Year 4, the greater of:

                                    (i)   *** of Net Sales

                                    OR:

                                    (ii)  *** Unique Elements - $*** per
                                          Unique Element or


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                                          Greater than *** Unique Elements -
                                          $*** per Unique Element

                           In Contract Year 5, and each subsequent year, if any,
                           the greater of:

                                    (i)   *** of Net Sales

                                    OR:

                                    (ii)  *** Unique Elements - $*** per
                                          Unique Element

                                          Greater than *** Unique Elements -
                                          $*** per Unique Element


                           ***


         e)       Replace Section 3.3 with the following:

                           If GENOMIC exercises its option to extend the license
                           for Nucleic Acid Arrays containing clones or PCR
                           products until *** as described in Section 2.1,
                           GENOMIC shall pay Affymetrix on or before *** a
                           one-time, non-refundable, up-front license extension
                           fee, which vests as of *** and is not creditable
                           toward any other royalties owed hereunder of ***.

         f)       Add the following to Section 5:

                  5.6      Notwithstanding anything to the contrary set forth in
                           this Section 5, GENOMIC may terminate this Agreement
                           at any time upon ninety (90) days written notice to
                           Affymetrix (the last day of such ninety (90) day
                           notice period being referred to herein as the
                           "Termination Date"), provided, that GENOMIC shall be
                           obligated to pay Affymetrix the entire minimum annual
                           royalty pursuant to Section 3.2.1 for the Contract
                           Year in which the Termination Date falls.


         3.       EFFECTS OF AMENDMENT.  Except as provided in this Amendment,
         all terms and conditions of the License Agreement shall remain in full
         force and effect without modification.


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         IN WITNESS WHEREOF, GENOMIC and Affymetrix have executed this Amendment
as of the date first above written.

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<S>                                                  <C>


WITNESS:                                             GENOMIC SOLUTIONS INC.


/s/ Steven J. Richvalsky                             By: /s/ Gary A. Kendra
------------------------------------                     ----------------------------------------
                                                     Its:  Executive Vice President

                                                                              "GENOMIC"

                                                     AFFYMETRIX, INC.


/s/ Maria Payne                                      By: /s/ Greg Schiffman
------------------------------------                    --------------------------------------------------

                                                     Its: Vice President Chief Financial Officer


                                                                              "Affymetrix"

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