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                                                                      EXHIBIT 14

                            SYMYX TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
                           CODE OF CONDUCT AND ETHICS

                             ADOPTED JANUARY 8, 2004

It is the policy of Symyx Technologies, Inc. (together with its wholly- and
majority owned subsidiaries and affiliates worldwide, the "Company") that all
directors, officers and employees of the Company shall, to the best of their
knowledge and ability, adhere to, comply with and advocate the principles set
out in this code of conduct and ethics (the "Code") governing their professional
and ethical conduct in the fulfillment of their responsibilities.

The purposes of the Code are to:

     -    Promote honest and ethical conduct, including the ethical handling of
          actual or apparent conflicts of interest between personal and
          professional relationships;

     -    Promote full, fair, accurate, timely and understandable disclosure in
          reports and documents that the Company files with, or submits to the
          U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and in other public
          communications made by the Company;

     -    Promote compliance with applicable governmental laws, rules and
          regulations;

     -    Promote the prompt internal reporting of violations of the Code to
          appropriate persons of authority within the Company; and

     -    Promote accountability for adherence to the Code.

The Code embodies principles to which all directors, officers and employees are
expected to adhere and advocate. Any violations of the Code may result in
disciplinary action, up to and including termination or removal, as applicable.

All directors, officers and employees of the Company will:

     1.   Act with honesty and integrity, avoiding actual or apparent conflicts
          between personal and private interests and the interests of the
          Company, including refraining from receiving improper personal
          benefits as a result of holding a particular position with the
          Company;

     2.   Not solicit or accept, for personal or other benefit, business or
          similar opportunities that could reasonably be expected to otherwise
          accrue to the benefit of the Company;

     3.   Use corporate assets entrusted to them in a responsible manner and
          refrain from competing directly or indirectly with the Company or
          using corporate information or opportunities for personal gain;

     4.   Where applicable, provide the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission,
          the Company's stockholders, the investing public and other relevant
          constituencies with reports and information that is full, fair,
          accurate, timely and understandable;

     5.   Endeavor to comply with applicable laws and regulations of federal,
          state, local and foreign governments and government agencies having
          jurisdiction over the Company and with applicable regulations of
          private or self-regulatory authorities having jurisdiction over the
          Company;

     6.   Act in good faith, responsibly with due care and diligence and without
          misrepresentation or omission of material facts and strive to maintain
          independent judgment in the performance and fulfillment of their
          duties and responsibilities;

     7.   Promote ethical behavior among subordinates and peers at the Company;

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      8.  Respect the confidentiality of information acquired or obtained in the
          course of performance of their responsibilities, never use
          confidential information for personal advantage, and disclose
          confidential information of the Company or third parties only when
          such disclosure is legally required or is otherwise authorized.

     9.   Not fraudulently influence, coerce, manipulate or otherwise mislead
          any auditor engaged in the performance of an audit or in the
          performance of any other service for the Company for the purpose of
          rendering the financial statements materially misleading or for any
          other improper purpose.

     10.  Comply with other policies and procedures of the Company applicable to
          their positions and employment, including the Company's Insider
          Trading Policy and, to the extent applicable, the other policies and
          procedures of the Company set forth in the Company's Employee
          Handbook.

Any waiver of this Code of Ethics may be made only by the Company's Board of
Directors (the "Board"). Any waiver of the code for any director or executive
officer of the Company must be disclosed on Form 8-K within five days, or such
shorter period as may be required under applicable regulation.

It is the duty of each director, officer and employee of the Company to report
violations of the Code promptly to the attention of the Company's Chief
Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer or to any member of the Audit
Committee of the Board (the "Audit Committee").

If you have a concern about a questionable accounting or auditing matter and
wish to submit the concern confidentially or anonymously, you may do so
anonymously through the whistleblower hotline available through the Symyx
intranet and managed by a third party, or by sending or faxing an anonymous
letter reporting your concern to the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Chief
Financial Officer or any member of the Audit Committee.

The Company will handle inquiries discretely and use reasonable efforts to
maintain, within the limits allowed by law, the confidentiality of anyone
requesting guidance or reporting questionable behavior or other matters of
concern under the Code. No reprisals, retaliatory action or other adverse action
may be taken against any employee of the Company or other person for reporting a
violation of this Code or a questionable accounting or auditing matter. Any such
action may constitute a violation of federal and state law as well as a
violation of this Code and the Company's employment policies.

The Board shall promptly determine, or designate appropriate persons (including,
if so determined by the Board, the Audit Committee) promptly to determine
appropriate actions to be taken in the event of violations of the Code by any
director, officer or employee. In determining what actions are appropriate in a
particular case, the Board (or its designee) shall take into account relevant
information including the nature and severity of the violation, whether the
violation was a single occurrence or a series of repeated occurrences, whether
the violation appears to have been intentional or inadvertent, whether the
individual in question had been advised prior to the violation as to the proper
course of action, and whether or not the director, officer or employee in
question had committed other violations in the past.

If the Board or the Audit Committee believes that it is necessary or appropriate
to amend or modify this Code to achieve its objectives or to meet requirements
of any regulatory authority (including any securities exchange or market) having
jurisdiction over the Company, the Board shall adopt, or the Audit Committee
shall recommend to the Board for adoption appropriate changes to this Code or
other Company policies.

It is the Company's intention that the Code be the Company's written code of
ethics under Section 406 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 complying with the
standards set forth in Securities and Exchange Commission Regulation S-K Item
406.

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