UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                  SCHEDULE 13G

                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

                           (Amendment No. __________)*

                           Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Stock
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    17252Y104
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                December 31, 2002
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)


Check the appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

                                [x] Rule 13d-1(b)

                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(c)

                                [ ] Rule 13d-1(d)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).



                               Page 1 of 10 pages





CUSIP No. 17252Y104                    13G                    Page 2 of 10 Pages


________________________________________________________________________________
1.   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

     Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P.  36-3820584

________________________________________________________________________________
2.   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                 (a)  [_]
     Not Applicable                                              (b)  [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
3.   SEC USE ONLY



________________________________________________________________________________
4.   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

     Delaware

________________________________________________________________________________
  NUMBER OF    5.   SOLE VOTING POWER

   SHARES           None
               _________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY   6.   SHARED VOTING POWER

  OWNED BY          1,674,000
               _________________________________________________________________
    EACH       7.   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         None
               _________________________________________________________________
   PERSON      8.   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH            1,674,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9.   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     1,674,000

________________________________________________________________________________
10.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

     Not Applicable                                                          [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)

     6.1%

________________________________________________________________________________
12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

     IA

________________________________________________________________________________







CUSIP No. 17252Y104                    13G                    Page 3 of 10 Pages


________________________________________________________________________________
1.   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

     WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.

________________________________________________________________________________
2.   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                 (a)  [_]
     Not Applicable                                              (b)  [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
3.   SEC USE ONLY



________________________________________________________________________________
4.   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

     Delaware

________________________________________________________________________________
  NUMBER OF    5.   SOLE VOTING POWER

   SHARES           None
               _________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY   6.   SHARED VOTING POWER

  OWNED BY          1,674,000
               _________________________________________________________________
    EACH       7.   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         None
               _________________________________________________________________
   PERSON      8.   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH            1,674,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9.   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     1,674,000

________________________________________________________________________________
10.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

     Not Applicable                                                          [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)

     6.1%

________________________________________________________________________________
12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

     CO

________________________________________________________________________________






CUSIP No. 17252Y104                    13G                    Page 4 of 10 Pages


________________________________________________________________________________
1.   NAME OF REPORTING PERSONS
     S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSONS (ENTITIES ONLY)

     Liberty Acorn Trust

________________________________________________________________________________
2.   CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
                                                                 (a)  [_]
     Not Applicable                                              (b)  [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
3.   SEC USE ONLY



________________________________________________________________________________
4.   CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION

     Massachusetts

________________________________________________________________________________
  NUMBER OF    5.   SOLE VOTING POWER

   SHARES           None
               _________________________________________________________________
BENEFICIALLY   6.   SHARED VOTING POWER

  OWNED BY          1,430,000
               _________________________________________________________________
    EACH       7.   SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER

  REPORTING         None
               _________________________________________________________________
   PERSON      8.   SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER

    WITH            1,430,000
________________________________________________________________________________
9.   AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON

     1,430,000

________________________________________________________________________________
10.  CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*

     Not Applicable                                                          [_]

________________________________________________________________________________
11.  PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (9)

     5.3%

________________________________________________________________________________
12.  TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*

     IV

________________________________________________________________________________







Item 1(a)         Name of Issuer:

                        Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.


Item 1(b)         Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices:

                        6611 Dumbarton Circle
                        Fremont, CA 94555

Item 2(a)         Name of Person Filing:

                        Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P. ("WAM")
                        WAM Acquisition GP, Inc., the general partner of WAM
                           ("WAM GP")
                        Liberty Acorn Trust ("Acorn")


Item 2(b)         Address of Principal Business Office:

                        WAM, WAM GP and Acorn are all located at:

                        227 West Monroe Street, Suite 3000
                        Chicago, Illinois  60606


Item 2(c)         Citizenship:

                        WAM is a Delaware limited partnership; WAM GP is a
                        Delaware corporation; and Acorn is a Massachusetts
                        business trust.

Item 2(d)         Title of Class of Securities:

                        Common Stock

Item 2(e)         CUSIP Number:

                        17252Y104

Item 3            Type of Person:

                        (d)   Acorn is an Investment Company under section 8 of
                              the Investment Company Act.

                        (e)   WAM is an Investment Adviser registered under
                              section 203 of the Investment Advisers Act of
                              1940; WAM GP is the General Partner of the
                              Investment Adviser.


                               Page 5 of 10 pages


Item 4            Ownership (at December 31, 2002):

                        (a)   Amount owned "beneficially" within the meaning of
                              rule 13d-3:

                              1,674,000

                        (b)   Percent of class:

                              6.1% (based on 27,229,156 shares outstanding as of
                              October 31, 2002).

                        (c)   Number of shares as to which such person has:

                              (i)   sole power to vote or to direct the vote:
                                    none

                              (ii)  shared power to vote or to direct the vote:
                                    1,674,000

                              (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the
                                    disposition of: none

                              (iv)  shared power to dispose or to direct
                                    disposition of: 1,674,000


Item 5            Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class:

                        Not Applicable

Item 6            Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another
                  Person:

                        The shares reported herein have been acquired on behalf
                        of discretionary clients of WAM, including Acorn.
                        Persons other than WAM and WAM GP are entitled to
                        receive all dividends from, and proceeds from the sale
                        of, those shares. Acorn is the only such person known to
                        be entitled to all dividends from, and all proceeds from
                        the sale of, shares reported herein to the extent of
                        more than 5% of the class.

Item 7            Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which
                  Acquired the Security Being Reported on by the Parent Holding
                  Company:

                        Not Applicable

Item 8            Identification and Classification of Members of the Group:

                        Not Applicable

Item 9            Notice of Dissolution of Group:

                        Not Applicable


                               Page 6 of 10 pages


Item 10           Certification:

                        By signing below I certify that, to the best of my
                  knowledge and belief, the securities referred to above were
                  acquired and are held in the ordinary course of business and
                  were not acquired and are not held for the purpose of or with
                  the effect of changing or influencing the control of the
                  issuer of the securities and were not acquired and are not
                  held in connection with or as a participant in any transaction
                  having that purpose or effect.




                               Page 7 of 10 pages


                                    Signature

      After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.

Date:  February 12, 2003


                  The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                  and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this
                  Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of
                  the security reported herein.

                                     WAM Acquisition GP, Inc.
                                       for itself and as general partner of
                                       LIBERTY WANGER ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.



                                     By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                         ---------------------------------
                                             Bruce H. Lauer
                                             Senior Vice President and Secretary

                  The undersigned corporation, on the date above written, agrees
                  and consents to the joint filing on its behalf of this
                  Schedule 13G in connection with its beneficial ownership of
                  the security reported herein.

                                     LIBERTY ACORN TRUST



                                     By: /s/ Bruce H. Lauer
                                         ---------------------------------
                                             Bruce H. Lauer
                                             Vice President, Treasurer and
                                             Secretary



                               Page 8 of 10 pages


                                  Exhibit Index

Exhibit 1               Joint Filing Agreement dated as of February 12, 2003 by
                        and among Liberty Wanger Asset Management, L.P., WAM
                        Acquisition GP, Inc. and Liberty Acorn Trust



                               Page 9 of 10 pages