Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues:
Product revenues	$ 7,039	$ 9,133	$ 8,307	$ 8,821	$ 9,353	$ 11,623	$ 9,022	$ 7,348	$ 33,300	$ 37,346	$ 19,962
Research and development programs	3,348	2,266	3,433	3,784	5,149	5,936	6,917	5,043	12,831	23,045	19,788
Total revenues	10,387	11,399	11,740	12,605	14,502	17,559	15,939	12,391	46,131	60,391	39,750
Costs and operating expenses:
Cost of product revenue	4,578	4,570	4,361	4,670	6,154	6,598	4,470	3,390	18,179	20,612	6,385
Research and development	9,586	13,207	12,747	12,554	18,210	20,571	22,064	20,835	48,094	81,680	66,572
Sales, general and administrative	18,888	19,596	20,981	21,268	22,139	25,883	21,637	20,607	80,733	90,266	62,933
Restructuring charges	4,581	(21)	(31)	424	3,514	0	0	0	4,953	3,514	0
Total costs and operating expenses	37,633	37,352	38,058	38,916	50,017	53,052	48,171	44,832	151,959	196,072	135,890
Loss from operations	(27,246)	(25,953)	(26,318)	(26,311)	(35,515)	(35,493)	(32,232)	(32,441)	(105,828)	(135,681)	(96,140)
Other income (expense):
Interest and other income, net	(3,323)	(3,225)	(3,410)	(3,273)	(3,205)	(3,188)	(4,662)	(1,112)
Loss from equity method investments	(4,098)	(5,916)	(7,309)	(5,066)	(7,724)	(7,201)	(4,278)	(3,834)	(22,389)	(23,037)	(8,237)
Gain from change in fair value of warrant liability	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	688	0	688	147
Gain (loss) from change in fair value of derivative liability	(26)	176	(134)	(15)	1,578	6,205	(1,745)	2,018	1	8,056	(6,392)
Total other expense, net	(7,447)	(8,965)	(10,853)	(8,354)	(9,351)	(4,184)	(10,685)	(2,240)	(35,619)	(26,460)	(20,249)
Net loss	$ (34,693)	$ (34,918)	$ (37,171)	$ (34,665)	$ (44,866)	$ (39,677)	$ (42,917)	$ (34,681)	$ (141,447)	$ (162,141)	$ (116,389)
Net loss per share attributable to Solazyme, Inc. common stockholders:
Basic and diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.43)	$ (0.43)	$ (0.46)	$ (0.44)	$ (0.57)	$ (0.50)	$ (0.56)	$ (0.50)	$ (1.76)	$ (2.14)	$ (1.81)
Weighted-average number of shares used in loss per share computation:
Basic and diluted (in shares)	80,600,000	80,298,000	80,098,000	79,650,000	79,330,000	78,867,000	75,963,000	69,213,000	80,165,402	75,879,208	64,211,958