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Subsequent events - Additional Information (Detail)
3 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2015
USD ($)
Mar. 31, 2014
USD ($)
Apr. 10, 2015
Subsequent Event [Member]
Research and Development Expense [Member]
USD ($)
Apr. 06, 2015
Subsequent Event [Member]
Sublicense Agreement [Member]
USD ($)
Apr. 01, 2015
Subsequent Event [Member]
Pasteur [Member]
EUR (€)
Subsequent Event [Line Items]          
License fee payment       $ 5,400,000blue_PaymentOfLicenseFee
/ us-gaap_FinancialInstrumentAxis
= blue_SublicenseAgreementMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
€ 3,000,000blue_PaymentOfLicenseFee
/ us-gaap_CounterpartyNameAxis
= blue_PasteurMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Stock-based compensation expense $ 5,432,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 2,493,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense $ 6,700,000us-gaap_AllocatedShareBasedCompensationExpense
/ us-gaap_IncomeStatementLocationAxis
= us-gaap_ResearchAndDevelopmentExpenseMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember