Collaboration and Licensing Revenue - Additional Information (Details)		1 Months Ended																				5 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	May 25, 2018	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($) shares	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($) shares	Oct. 31, 2018 USD ($) quarterly_installment product	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) shares	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	May 31, 2015 USD ($) target	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($) shares	Mar. 31, 2013 USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2013	Oct. 31, 2012 USD ($) shares	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($) shares	Jan. 31, 2011 USD ($) shares	May 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018 USD ($)
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																							$ 160,574,000	$ 230,981,000	$ 190,926,000
Fair value of assets		$ 122,181,000			$ 183,173,000																		122,181,000	183,173,000
Deferred revenue		69,764,000			236,397,000																		69,764,000	236,397,000
Reacquisition of in-process research and development																							236,748,000	0	0
Shares issued in asset acquisition or for reacquired in-process research and development																							159,323,000		4,401,000
Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																							76,869,000	145,579,000	109,871,000
Deferred revenue		63,284,000			231,583,000																		$ 63,284,000	231,583,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement																							90 days
Licensing agreement between ZIOPHARM and Precigen 2018
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Period after which additional products to be developed and commercialized				2 years
License agreement, percentage of development costs for which responsible				20.00%
License agreement, percentage of operating profits to be received				20.00%
License agreement, annual fee				$ 100,000
License agreement, reimbursement of historical costs, number of quarterly installments | quarterly_installment				4
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, aggregated				$ 210,000,000
License agreement, royalty due, aggregated				$ 100,000,000
License agreement, percentage of sublicensing income				20.00%
License agreement, termination, period following triggering event				12 years
Maximum | Licensing agreement between ZIOPHARM and Precigen 2018
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
License agreement, reimbursement of historical costs				$ 1,000,000
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, per product				$ 52,500,000
License agreement, number of exclusively licensed products | product				4
Transition period during which costs will be reimbursed				1 year
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Licensing agreement between ZIOPHARM and Precigen 2018
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
License agreement, percentage of development costs for which responsible				80.00%
License agreement, percentage of operating profits to be received				80.00%
License agreement, royalty due, aggregated				$ 50,000,000
Fibrocell Science, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Stockholders' equity, reverse stock split	1-for-5
Stockholders' equity reverse stock split conversion ratio	0.2
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Reacquisition of in-process research and development				109,047,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received (in shares) | shares																			3,636,926		3,636,926
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value				100,000				$ 120,000,000			$ 10,000,000								$ 18,330,000		$ 17,457,000
Revenues																							$ 16,298,000	69,812,000	33,836,000
Royalty rate as a percentage of net profit								20.00%														50.00%
Collaborative arrangement consideration received, number of preferred shares (in shares) | shares								100,000
Deferred revenue																										$ 51,084,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Transfer of clinical product candidate(s) | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																					1,115,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Single performance obligation | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value																					$ 16,342,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Milestone consideration | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606																												$ 873,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | ZIOPHARM ECC 2 | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues					28,943,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Contract modification consideration | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606																												$ 32,422,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Reacquired in-process research & development | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue																										49,329,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Transition services | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue				1,855,000																						1,755,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Historical cost reimbursement | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues				500,000
Ares Trading S.A.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Reacquisition of in-process research and development		$ 108,527,000
Shares issued in asset acquisition or for reacquired in-process research and development, shares | shares		20,640,119
Shares issued in asset acquisition or for reacquired in-process research and development		$ 140,353,000
Royalty percentage to be paid to other party		0.1
Ares Trading S.A. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value													$ 115,000,000
Revenues																							$ 11,175,000	10,738,000	10,192,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration receivable, minimum targets required | target													2
Ares Trading S.A. | Reacquired in-process research & development | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue			$ 31,826,000
Ares Trading S.A. | Research & development services | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue													$ 10,000,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration receivable, collection period													2 years
Ares Trading S.A. | ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaboration agreement, percent of collaboration payments																							50.00%
Ares Trading S.A. | ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Payments to related parties													$ 57,500,000
Oragenics, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received (in shares) | shares																				439,243
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value																				$ 6,588,000
Revenues																							$ 1,353,000	2,020,000	2,752,000
Royalty rate as a percentage of net profit																				25.00%
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement												90 days								90 days
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value of convertible promissory note												$ 5,000,000
Oragenics, Inc. | Maximum | Oragenics ECC
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, one-time						$ 35,000,000
Oragenics, Inc. | Maximum | Oragenics ECC2
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, one-time						$ 37,500,000
Intrexon T1D Partners, LLC | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value									$ 10,000,000
Revenues																							2,502,000	5,968,000	1,908,000
Genten Therapeutics, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value							$ 3,000,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, cash							1,500,000
CRS Bio, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value							$ 2,100,000
Relieve Genetics, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value									4,333,000
Intrexon Energy Partners, LLC | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value															$ 25,000,000
Revenues																							6,929,000	10,665,000	17,552,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement															90 days
Intrexon Energy Partners II, LLC | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value										$ 18,000,000
Revenues																							2,998,000	3,672,000	3,169,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement										90 days
Exotech Bio, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value									$ 5,000,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement									90 days
AD Skincare, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value								$ 4,333,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement								90 days
AD Skincare, Inc. | Maximum | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, per product								$ 2,000,000
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, one-time								$ 17,000,000
Genopaver, LLC | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value																	$ 3,000,000
Revenues																							3,710,000	6,690,000	6,117,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement																	90 days
Fibrocell Science, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received (in shares) | shares																82,919			87,835
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value										$ 10,000,000						$ 7,612,000			$ 7,576,000
Revenues																							1,394,000	7,344,000	5,942,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement										90 days									90 days
Royalty rate as a percentage of net sales, tier 1																			7.00%
Level of net sales at which royalty rate changes to tier 2																			$ 25,000,000
Royalty rate as a percentage of net sales, tier 2																			14.00%
Royalty rate of savings from improvement																			33.00%
Maximum milestone payments required upon successful achievement, first product										$ 30,000,000
Maximum milestone payments required upon successful achievement, per each additional product										30,000,000
Maximum milestone payments required for certain sales milestones, per product										$ 22,500,000
Thrive Agrobiotics, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value											$ 1,667,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement											90 days
Thrive Agrobiotics, Inc. | Maximum | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, per product											$ 5,500,000
Persea Bio, LLC | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value														$ 5,000,000
Revenues																							955,000	946,000	$ 1,278,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement														90 days
AquaBounty Technologies, Inc. | Collaborations and licenses
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Royalty rate as a percentage of gross profit																		16.66%
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Preferred stock
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Fair value of assets					160,832,000																			160,832,000		$ 158,376,000
Oragenics, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Conversion of promissory note into common stock (in shares) | shares										338,100
Oragenics, Inc. | Preferred stock
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Fair value of assets		$ 0			$ 0																		$ 0	$ 0
Intrexon T1D Partners, LLC
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue				$ 8,517,000
Reacquisition of in-process research and development			$ 10,453,000
Shares issued in asset acquisition or for reacquired in-process research and development, shares | shares			1,933,737
Shares issued in asset acquisition or for reacquired in-process research and development			$ 18,970,000
Ownership interest			100.00%
Genten Therapeutics, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Ownership interest																										100.00%
CRS Bio, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Ownership interest																										100.00%
Relieve Genetics, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Ownership interest																										100.00%
Exotech Bio, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Ownership interest																											49.00%