Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Mar. 31, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying interim consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("U.S. GAAP"). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company's annual financial statements have been condensed or omitted. These interim consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all normal recurring adjustments necessary for fair statement of the Company's financial position as of March 31, 2017 and results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods ended March 31, 2017 and 2016. The year-end consolidated balance sheet data was derived from the Company's audited financial statements but does not include all disclosures required by U.S. GAAP. These interim financial results are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the year ending December 31, 2017, or for any other future annual or interim period. The accompanying interim unaudited consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016.
Consolidation	The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Investments in Preferred Stock	Investments in Preferred Stock The Company holds preferred stock in certain of its collaborators which may be converted to common stock as described in Note 6. The Company elected the fair value option to account for its investments in preferred stock whereby the value of preferred stock is adjusted to fair value as of each reporting date and unrealized gains and losses are reported in the consolidated statement of operations. These investments are subject to fluctuation in the future due to, among other things, the likelihood and timing of conversion of the preferred stock into common stock, the volatility of each collaborator's common stock, and changes in general economic and financial conditions of the collaborators. The investments are classified as noncurrent in the consolidated balance sheet since the Company does not intend to sell the investments nor expect them to be converted into shares of common stock within one year. Until such time as the Company converts the preferred stock into common stock, the Company is entitled to monthly dividends and records dividend income as described in Note 6.
Equity Method Investments	Equity Method Investments The Company accounts for its investments in each of its joint ventures and for its investments in start-up entities backed by the Harvest Intrexon Enterprise Fund I, LP ("Harvest"), a related party, (Note 16) using the equity method of accounting based upon relative ownership interest. The Company's investments in these entities are included in investments in affiliates in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Self-insurance Reserves	Self-insurance Reserves Effective January 1, 2017, the Company commenced a self-insurance program for a significant portion of its employee health benefit programs. The Company maintains stop-loss coverage with third party insurers to limit its individual claims and total exposure under those programs. The Company estimates its accrued liability for the ultimate costs to close known claims, including claims incurred but not yet reported to the Company, as of the balance sheet date. The Company's recorded estimated liability for self-insurance is based on the insurance company's incurred loss estimates and management's judgment, including assumptions and factors related to the frequency and severity of claims and the Company's claims development history. The assessment of self-insurance reserves is a highly subjective process that requires judgments about future events. Self-insurance reserves are reviewed at least quarterly to determine the adequacy of the accruals and related financial statement disclosure. The ultimate settlement of self-insurance reserves may differ significantly from amounts the Company has accrued in its consolidated financial statements.
Segment Information	Segment Information While the Company generates revenues from multiple sources, including collaboration agreements, licensing, and products and services associated with bovine reproduction, management is organized around a singular research and development focus to further the development of the Company's underlying synthetic biology technologies. Accordingly, the Company has determined that it operates in one segment.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In October 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-17, Consolidation (Topic 810) - Interests Held through Related Parties That Are under Common Control ("ASU 2016-17"). The provisions of ASU 2016-17 amend the consolidation guidance on how a reporting entity that is the single decision maker of a VIE should treat indirect interests in the entity held through related parties that are under common control with the reporting entity when determining whether it is the primary beneficiary of that VIE. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017, and the implementation of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, Stock Compensation (Topic 718) - Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2016-09"). The provisions of ASU 2016-09 simplify various aspects of the accounting for employee share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017. Upon adoption in the first quarter of 2017, the Company elected to recognize forfeitures as they occur and recorded an opening adjustment to additional paid-in capital and accumulated deficit for previously unrecognized stock-based compensation costs due to estimating forfeitures on unvested shares totaling $1,461. The Company also recognized deferred tax assets of approximately $17,900 related to the excess tax benefits that previously arose directly from tax deductions related to equity compensation greater than stock-based compensation costs recognized in the consolidated financial statements and the cumulative adjustment for forfeitures. These deferred tax assets were fully offset by a valuation allowance (Note 12). The adoption was on a modified retrospective basis and had no impact on prior periods. In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-07, Investments-Equity Method and Joint Ventures (Topic 323) - Simplifying the Transition to the Equity Method of Accounting ("ASU 2016-07"). The provisions of ASU 2016-07 eliminate the requirement that when an investment qualifies for use of the equity method as a result of an increase in the level of ownership interest or degree of influence, an adjustment must be made to the investment, results of operations, and retained earnings retroactively on a step-by-step basis as if the equity method had been in effect during all previous periods that the investment had been held. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017, and the implementation of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, Inventory (Topic 330) - Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory ("ASU 2015-11"). The provisions of ASU 2015-11 provide guidance for simplifying the calculation for subsequent measurement of inventory measured using the first-in-first-out or average cost methods. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2017, and the implementation of this standard did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment ("ASU 2017-04"). The provisions of ASU 2017-04 simplify how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805) - Clarifying the Definition of a Business ("ASU 2017-01"). The provisions of ASU 2017-01 clarify the definition of a business to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash (A Consensus of the FASB Emerging Issues Task Force) ("ASU 2016-18"). The provisions of ASU 2016-18 require amounts generally described as restricted cash and restricted cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the total beginning and ending balances for the periods presented on the statement of cash flows. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments ("ASU 2016-15"). The provisions of ASU 2016-15 address eight specific cash flow issues and how those certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows, and other Topics. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) ("ASU 2016-02"). The provisions of ASU 2016-02 set out the principles for the recognition, measurement, presentation and disclosure of leases for both parties to a contract (i.e. lessees and lessors). The new standard requires lessees to apply a dual approach, classifying leases as either finance or operating leases based on the principle of whether or not the lease is effectively a financed purchase by the lessee. This classification will determine whether lease expense is recognized based on an effective interest method or on a straight-line basis over the term of the lease, respectively. A lessee is also required to record a right-of-use asset and a lease liability for all leases with a term of greater than 12 months regardless of their classification. Leases with a term of 12 months or less will be accounted for in a similar manner as under existing guidance for operating leases today. ASU 2016-02 supersedes the previous lease standard, Topic 840, Leases. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2019. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10) - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities ("ASU 2016-01"). The provisions of ASU 2016-01 make targeted improvements to enhance the reporting model for financial instruments to provide users of financial statements with more decision-useful information, including certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASU 2014-09"). The FASB issued ASU 2014-09 to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for U.S. GAAP. The standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes the most current revenue recognition guidance. This guidance was originally effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016 and early adoption was not permitted. In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Deferral of the Effective Date, which deferred the effective date of the guidance in ASU 2014-09 by one year to December 15, 2017 for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after that date and permitted early adoption of the standard, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016, and is effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2018. In 2016, the FASB clarified the implementation guidance on principal versus agent, identifying performance obligations, licensing, narrow-scope improvements, practical expedients, and to expedite improvements to ASU 2014-09 by issuing ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Principal versus Agent Considerations, ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing, and ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) - Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients, and ASU 2016-20, Technical Corrections and Improvements to Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The Company is currently evaluating its collaborations and licensing agreements to determine the impact, if any, that the implementation of this standard will have on the Company's consolidated financial statements as it relates to the recognition of upfront and milestone payments that have been deferred under the current revenue guidance, reimbursements for costs incurred by the Company for research and development services provided pursuant to collaborations, and royalties on sales of products arising from collaborations.

Disclosure of accounting policy for the equity method of accounting for investments in common stock or other interests including unconsolidated subsidiaries, corporate joint ventures, noncontrolling interests in real estate ventures, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies. The accounting policy may include information such as: (1) initially recording an investment in the stock of an investee at cost; (2) adjusting the carrying amount of the investment to recognize the investor's share of the earnings or losses of the investee after the date of acquisition; and (3) adjustments to reflect the investor's share of changes in the investee's capital (dividends). This disclosure may also include a detailed description of the policy for determining the amount of equity method losses recognized after an investment has been reduced to zero as a result of previous losses, reasons for not using the equity method when the investor company owns 20 percent or more of the voting stock of the investee's company (including identification of the significant investee), reasons for using the equity method when the ownership percentage is less than 20 percent, and discussion of recognition of equity method losses when an investor's total investment in an investee includes, in addition to an investment in common stock, other investments such as preferred stock and loans to the investee. An entity also may describe how such investments are assessed for impairment.