Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' and Total Equity - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Accumulated Deficit	Total Intrexon Shareholders' Equity	Noncontrolling Interests
Beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$ 409,289	$ 0	$ 843,001	$ (4)	$ (458,236)	$ 384,761	$ 24,528
Beginning balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2014		100,557,932
Changes in Stockholders' Equity
Stock-based compensation expense	38,688		38,507			38,507	181
Exercises of stock options and warrants	14,462		14,462			14,462	0
Exercises of stock options and warrants, shares		1,148,463
Shares issued as payment for services	2,169		2,169			2,169	0
Shares issued as payment for services, shares		70,925
Shares issued in public or private offerings, net of issuance costs	328,234		328,234			328,234	0
Shares issued in public or private offerings, net of issuance costs, shares		9,922,256
Shares issued as consideration for license agreement	59,579		59,579			59,579	0
Shares issued as consideration for license agreement, shares		2,100,085
Shares issued in business combinations	126,863		126,863			126,863	0
Shares issued in business combinations, shares		2,552,151
Shares and warrants issued in business combination	126,863
Shares issued in asset acquisition	0
Shares issued as payment for contingent consideration	0
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest	$ (1,566)		9,412			9,412	(10,978)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest, shares	307,074
Adjustments for noncontrolling interests	$ 250		(249)			(249)	499
Noncash dividend	(172,419)		(172,419)			(172,419)	0
Net loss	(87,994)				(84,493)	(84,493)	(3,501)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(12,669)			(12,748)		(12,748)	79
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2015	704,886		1,249,559	(12,752)	(542,729)	694,078	10,808
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2015		116,658,886
Changes in Stockholders' Equity
Stock-based compensation expense	42,181		42,108			42,108	73
Exercises of stock options and warrants	19,165		19,165			19,165	0
Exercises of stock options and warrants, shares		1,400,146
Shares issued as payment for services	10,777		10,777			10,777	0
Shares issued as payment for services, shares		434,061
Shares and warrants issued in business combination	0
Shares issued in asset acquisition	4,401		4,401			4,401	0
Shares issued in asset acquisition, shares		136,340
Shares issued as payment for contingent consideration	1,583		1,583			1,583	0
Shares issued as payment for contingent consideration, shares		59,337
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0		(1,813)			(1,813)	1,813
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest, shares		0
Net loss	(190,274)				(186,612)	(186,612)	(3,662)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	(23,471)			(23,450)		(23,450)	(21)
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2016	$ 569,248	$ 0	1,325,780	(36,202)	(729,341)	560,237	9,011
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2016	118,688,770	118,688,770
Changes in Stockholders' Equity
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASU 2016-09	$ 0		1,461		(1,461)	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	41,576		41,525			41,525	51
Exercises of stock options and warrants	980		952			952	28
Exercises of stock options and warrants, shares		149,429
Shares issued as payment for services	11,118		11,118			11,118	0
Shares issued as payment for services, shares		654,456
Shares issued in public or private offerings, net of issuance costs	13,686		13,686			13,686	0
Shares issued in public or private offerings, net of issuance costs, shares		1,207,980
Shares issued in business combinations, shares		684,240
Shares and warrants issued in business combination	16,997		16,997			16,997	0
Shares issued in asset acquisition	0
Shares issued as payment for contingent consideration	0		0			0	0
Shares issued as payment for contingent consideration, shares		480,422
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest	(913)		5,082			5,082	(5,995)
Acquisition of noncontrolling interest, shares		221,743
Adjustments for noncontrolling interests	(13)		2,789			2,789	(2,802)
Noncash dividend	0		(22,385)			(22,385)	22,385
Net loss	(126,820)				(117,018)	(117,018)	(9,802)
Other comprehensive income (loss)	20,686			20,648		20,648	38
Ending balance at Dec. 31, 2017	$ 546,545		$ 1,397,005	$ (15,554)	$ (847,820)	$ 533,631	$ 12,914
Ending balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2017	122,087,040	122,087,040