Share-Based Payments - Intrexon Stock Option Plans - Summary of Information About Stock Options Outstanding (Details) - Intrexon Stock Option Plans - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	11,640,383	11,043,528
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 31.25	$ 32.66	$ 22.59	$ 8.27
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	8 years 2 months 15 days	8 years 5 months 27 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 14,969	$ 47,295
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	3,418,035	2,494,426
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 28.09	$ 18.31
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	6 years 10 months 17 days	6 years 9 months 26 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 11,852	$ 31,251
Price range 1
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Stock options, exercise price range, lower limit (in usd per share)	$ 2.65	$ 0.38
Stock options, exercise price range, upper limit (in usd per share)	$ 9.34	$ 9.34
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	562,951	1,261,192
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 6.23	$ 6.40
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	4 years 1 month 18 days	5 years 4 months 24 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 10,172	$ 29,956
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	525,755	1,147,978
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 6.01	$ 6.19
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	3 years 11 months 20 days	5 years 3 months
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 9,615	$ 27,507
Price range 2
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Stock options, exercise price range, lower limit (in usd per share)	$ 15.21	$ 15.21
Stock options, exercise price range, upper limit (in usd per share)	$ 27.19	$ 28.93
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	2,785,705	2,682,516
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 23.47	$ 24.25
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	8 years 5 months 45 days	8 years 5 months 5 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 4,797	$ 15,831
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	684,704	602,023
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 21.07	$ 24.43
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	7 years 3 months 15 days	8 years 4 months 10 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 2,237	$ 3,445
Price range 3
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Stock options, exercise price range, lower limit (in usd per share)	$ 27.21	$ 29.14
Stock options, exercise price range, upper limit (in usd per share)	$ 29.68	$ 29.68
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	3,147,242	2,895,885
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 29.30	$ 29.63
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	7 years 5 months 42 days	8 years 5 months 9 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 1,508
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	1,400,707	635,743
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 29.35	$ 29.68
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	7 years 3 months 22 days	7 years 11 months 27 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 299
Price range 4
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Stock options, exercise price range, lower limit (in usd per share)	$ 29.70	$ 30.10
Stock options, exercise price range, upper limit (in usd per share)	$ 42.22	$ 56.77
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	3,590,423	3,118,935
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 32.89	$ 44.48
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	9 years 33 days	9 years 5 months 16 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 0
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	345,274	108,682
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 37.06	$ 45.87
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	6 years 10 months 6 days	8 years 7 days
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 0
Price range 5
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Stock options, exercise price range, lower limit (in usd per share)	$ 43.99	$ 57.95
Stock options, exercise price range, upper limit (in usd per share)	$ 65.34	$ 65.34
Options outstanding, number of options (in shares)	1,554,062	1,085,000
Options outstanding, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 54.40	$ 58.07
Options outstanding, weighted average remaining life (in years)	8 years 4 months 35 days	9 years 6 months 18 days
Options outstanding, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 0
Options exercisable, number of options (in shares)	461,595	0
Options exercisable, weighted average exercise price (in usd per share)	$ 53.06	$ 0.00
Options exercisable, weighted average remaining life (in years)	8 years 3 months 30 days	0 years
Options exercisable, aggregate intrinsic value	$ 0	$ 0