UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 4
[]Check this box if no longer
  subject to Section 16. Form 4 or                 OMB APPROVAL                 
  Form 5 obligations may continue.                 OMB Number:    3235-0287     
  See Instruction 1(b).                            Expires: September 30, 1998  
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(Print or Type Responses)
 
                 STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP
                                                                                
           Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange
      Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act
          of 1935 or Section 30(f)of the Investment Company Act of 1940


                                                                                     

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*        2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol   6. Relationship of Reporting Person(s)
                                                   BioTime, Inc. (BTIM)                          to Issuer (Check all applicable)
Nickel         Jeffrey          B                                                               __X__ Director     _____ 10% Owner
(Last)          (First)      (Middle)           3.  IRS or Social Security  4.  Statement for   _____ Officer(give _____ Other
                                                    Number of Reporting         Month/Year            title below)   specify below)
                                                    Person (Voluntary)            4/99                  
                                                                                                    
13180 Via Ranchero Drive                                                                                
(Street)                                        5.  If Amendment,                             7.  Individual or Joint/Group Filing 
                                                    Date of Original                              (Check Applicable Line)
                                                      (Month/Year)                             _X_Form filed by One Reporting Person
Saratoga      CA           95070                          5/99                                 ___Form filed by More than One
(City)      (State)        (Zip)                                                                   Reporting Person





 Table 1 -- Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned



                                                                                                 
1.  Title of Security   2.  Trans-     3.  Trans-       4. Securities Acquired(A)  5. Amount of     6.  Owner-      7. Nature of
     (Instr. 3)             action         action          or Disposed of (D)         Securities        ship           Indirect
                            Date           Code           (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)         Beneficially      Form:          Beneficial
                                          (Instr. 8)                                  Owned at          Direct         Ownership
                                                                                      End of Month      (D) or
                            (Month/                                                                     Indirect
                              Day/                                                    Inst. 3 and 4)    (I)                   
                             Year)                                 (A)or
                                                          Amount   (D)       Price                     (Instr. 4)      (Instr. 4)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  Common Shares,                                                                       25,000*             D
   no par value
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Reminder:   Report  on  a  separate  line  for  each  class  of  securities
beneficially  owned directly or  indirectly. 
*If the form is filed by more than one reporting person,see Instruction 4(b)(v).

                                                                          (Over)
                                                                  SEC 1471(7-96)



FORM 4 (continued) Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities) 1. Title of Derivative Security 2. Conver- 3. Trans- 4. Trans- 5. Number of Deriv- 6. Date Exer- (Instr. 3) sion or action action ative Securities Ac- cisable and Exercise Date Code quired (A) or Dis- Expiration Price of (Instr. 8) posed of (D) Date Deri- (Month/ (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) (Month/Day/ vative Day/ Year) Security Year) Date Expir- (A) (D) Exer- ation cisable Date - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Option to Purchase Common Shares $12.57 4/29/99 A 10,000 4/29/99 4/29/04 - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7. Title and Amount 8. Price 9. Number 10.Owner- 11. Nature of Underlying of of deriv- ship of Securities Deriv- ative Form of Indirect (Instr. 3 and 4) ative Secur- Deriv- Benefi- Secur- ities ative cial ity Bene- Security: Owner- Amount or (Instr. ficially Direct ship Title Number of 5) Owned (D)or (Instr.4) Shares at End Indirect of Month (I) (Instr. 4) (Instr. 4) - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Common 10,000 N/A 25,000 D Shares - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ================================================================================ Explanation of Responses: *Includes 25,000 shares that Mr. Nickel may acquire through the exercise of stock options. ** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a). Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure. Potential persons who are to respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a valid OMB Number. /s/Jeffrey Nickel May 5, 1999 - -------------------------------- ---------------------- **Signature of Reporting Person Date