Exhibit 31.2

CERTIFICATION

I, Michael E.
    Spicer, certify that:


1.I
    have reviewed this quarterly report of Orchid BioSciences, Inc.;


2.   Based on my knowledge,
this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state
  a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances
  under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period
  covered by this report;


3.   Based
    on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
    included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
    condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
    for, the periods presented in this report;


4.   The
    registrants other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing
    and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange
    Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:


a)   designed
    such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls
    and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material
    information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries,
    is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during
  the period in which this report is being prepared;


b)    evaluated
    the effectiveness of the registrants disclosure controls and procedures
    and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the
    disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by
  this report based on such evaluation; and


c)   disclosed
    in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial
    reporting that occurred during the registrant's most recent fiscal quarter
    (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report)
    that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect,
  the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and


5.   The
    registrants other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based
    on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting,
    to the registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
  board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):


a)   all
      significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation
      of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely
      to adversely affect the registrants ability to record, process, summarize
    and report financial information; and


b)   any
      fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees
      who have a significant role in the registrants internal control over
    financial reporting.


| | Date: August
      14, 2003 | /s/
      Michael E. Spicer                     
| | --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------
| |                             | Michael E. Spicer                               
| |                             | Vice
      President and Chief Financial Officer



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