Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2019
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 September 30, 2019 and results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. 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, 2019, 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, 2018.
Consolidation	The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Equity Securities	Equity Securities The Company holds equity securities of private and publicly traded companies, including investments received and/or purchased from certain collaborators. The Company evaluates whether to elect the fair value option on an individual investment basis. The Company elected the fair value option to account for its equity securities held in publicly traded companies. These equity securities are recorded at fair value at each reporting date and are subject to market price volatility. Unrealized gains and losses resulting from fair value adjustments are reported in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of these equity securities is subject to fluctuation in the future due to the volatility of the stock market, changes in general economic conditions and changes in the financial conditions of these collaborators. The Company accounts for its investments in private companies using either the equity method, as discussed below, or the measurement alternative method for equity securities without readily determinable fair values, which represents cost and any adjustments for impairment or observable price changes in certain transactions. As of September 30, 2019, there have been no adjustments for impairment or observable price changes for the Company's investments in private companies accounted for under the measurement alternative method. Equity securities that the Company does not intend to sell within one year are classified as noncurrent in the consolidated balance sheets. For equity securities received pursuant to a collaboration agreement, the Company records the fair value of securities received on the date the collaboration is consummated or the milestone is achieved using the fair value of the collaborator's security on that date, assuming the transfer of consideration is considered perfunctory. If the transfer of the consideration is not considered perfunctory, the Company considers the specific facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate date on which to evaluate fair value. The Company also evaluates whether any discounts for trading restrictions or other basis for lack of marketability should be applied to the fair value of the securities at inception of the collaboration. In the event the Company concludes that a discount should be applied to securities accounted for under the fair value option, the fair value of the securities is adjusted at inception of the collaboration and re-evaluated at each reporting period thereafter.
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"), all of which are related parties, 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.
Operating Leases	Operating Leases The Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 842, Leases ("ASC 842"), effective January 1, 2019. Under ASC 842, the Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included as right-of-use assets ("ROU Assets") and lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has elected not to recognize ROU Assets or lease liabilities for leases with lease terms of one year or less. Lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date, with an ROU Asset of the same amount. For leases that contain fixed non-lease payments, the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Variable lease payments, which primarily include payments for non-lease components such as maintenance costs, are excluded from the ROU Assets and lease liabilities and are recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred. As the Company's operating leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date, which is the estimated rate the Company would be required to pay for a collateralized borrowing equal to the total lease payments over the term of the lease, in determining the present value of future payments. The initial measurement of the ROU Asset also includes any lease payments made, adjusted for lease incentives. The lease term for all of the Company's leases includes the noncancelable period of the lease plus any additional periods covered by options that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise, either to extend or to not terminate the lease. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
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.
Segment Information	Segment Information The Company realigned its business in April 2019, and as a result, its chief operating decision maker ("CODM") now regularly reviews disaggregated financial information for various operating segments. The Company's reportable segments now include (i) Precigen; (ii) MBP; (iii) the Fine Chemicals division, which is an operating division of Intrexon; (iv) Okanagan; and (v) Trans Ova. All of Intrexon's consolidated subsidiaries and operating divisions that did not meet the quantitative thresholds to report separately are combined and reported in a single category, All Other. See Note 1 for a description of Precigen, MBP, Okanagan, and Trans Ova. Corporate expenses, which are not allocated to the segments and are managed at a consolidated level, include costs associated with general and administrative functions, including the Company's finance, accounting, legal, human resources, information technology, corporate communication, and investor relations functions. Corporate expenses exclude interest expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, and equity in net loss of affiliates and include unrealized and realized gains and losses on the Company's securities portfolio as well as dividend income. The Company's segment presentation has been recast to retrospectively reflect the change from one reportable segment to multiple reportable segments. See Note 19 for further discussion of the Company's segments.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method as of the adoption date without restating prior periods. In addition, the Company elected to use the package of practical expedients which allowed the Company to not have to reassess whether expired or existing contracts contain leases under the new definition of a lease or the lease classification for expired or existing leases under ASC Topic 840. As a result of the adoption of ASC 842, the Company recorded ROU Assets and lease liabilities of approximately $43,500 and $45,500, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. The difference between the ROU Assets and lease liabilities primarily represents the balance of deferred rent as of December 31, 2018 that resulted from historical straight-lining of operating leases expense, which was reclassified upon adoption to reduce the measurement of the ROU Assets. There was no impact to accumulated deficit. In June 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2018-07"). The provisions of ASU 2018-07 expand the scope of ASC Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2019, and there was no material impact to the accompanying consolidated financial statements. Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements In October 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606 ("ASU 2018-18"). The provisions of ASU 2018-18 clarify when certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for under ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606"), and incorporates unit-of-account guidance consistent with ASC 606 to aid in this determination. 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 October 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-17, Consolidation (Topic 810): Targeted Improvements to Related Party Guidance for Variable Interest Entities ("ASU 2018-17"). The provisions of ASU 2018-17 modify the guidance under ASC Topic 810 related to the evaluation of indirect interests held through related parties under common control when determining whether fees paid to decision makers and service providers are variable interests. Indirect interests held through related parties that are under common control are no longer considered to be the equivalent of direct interests in their entirety and instead should be considered on a proportional basis. This guidance more closely aligns with accounting of how indirect interests held through related parties under common control are considered for determining whether a reporting entity must consolidate a VIE. 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 August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract ("ASU 2018-15"). The provisions of ASU 2018-15 clarify the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. The new standard requires an entity (customer) in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow existing internal-use software guidance to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as an asset related to the service contract and which costs to expense. Capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract should be amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement, which might extend beyond the noncancelable period if there are options to extend or terminate. ASU 2018-15 also specifies the financial statement presentation of capitalized implementation costs and related amortization, in addition to required disclosures for material capitalized implementation costs related to hosting arrangements that are service contracts. 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 August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements ("ASU 2018-13"). The provisions of ASU 2018-13 modify the disclosures related to recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. Disclosures related to the transfer of assets between Level 1 and Level 2 hierarchies have been eliminated and various additional disclosures related to Level 3 fair value measurements have been added, modified or removed. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. This standard 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 June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). The provisions of ASU 2016-13 modify the impairment model to utilize an expected loss methodology in place of the currently used incurred loss methodology, and requires a consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. 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 April 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments ("ASU 2019-04"). The provisions of ASU 2019-04 clarify and improve areas of guidance related to ASU 2016-13 and ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments ("ASC 825"). The amendments to ASU 2016-13 have the same effective date as the original ASU and are effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2020. The amendments to ASC 825 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and are 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.

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2019

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 September 30, 2019 and results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods ended September 30, 2019 and 2018. 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, 2019, 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, 2018.

Consolidation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements reflect the operations of the Company and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Equity Securities

The Company holds equity securities of private and publicly traded companies, including investments received and/or purchased from certain collaborators. The Company evaluates whether to elect the fair value option on an individual investment basis. The Company elected the fair value option to account for its equity securities held in publicly traded companies. These equity securities are recorded at fair value at each reporting date and are subject to market price volatility. Unrealized gains and losses resulting from fair value adjustments are reported in the consolidated statements of operations. The fair value of these equity securities is subject to fluctuation in the future due to the volatility of the stock market, changes in general economic conditions and changes in the financial conditions of these collaborators. The Company accounts for its investments in private companies using either the equity method, as discussed below, or the measurement alternative method for equity securities without readily determinable fair values, which represents cost and any adjustments for impairment or observable price changes in certain transactions. As of September 30, 2019, there have been no adjustments for impairment or observable price changes

for the Company's investments in private companies accounted for under the measurement alternative method. Equity securities that the Company does not intend to sell within one year are classified as noncurrent in the consolidated balance sheets.

For equity securities received pursuant to a collaboration agreement, the Company records the fair value of securities received on the date the collaboration is consummated or the milestone is achieved using the fair value of the collaborator's security on that date, assuming the transfer of consideration is considered perfunctory. If the transfer of the consideration is not considered perfunctory, the Company considers the specific facts and circumstances to determine the appropriate date on which to evaluate fair value. The Company also evaluates whether any discounts for trading restrictions or other basis for lack of marketability should be applied to the fair value of the securities at inception of the collaboration. In the event the Company concludes that a discount should be applied to securities accounted for under the fair value option, the fair value of the securities is adjusted at inception of the collaboration and re-evaluated at each reporting period thereafter.

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"), all of which are related parties, 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.

Operating Leases

The Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 842, Leases ("ASC 842"), effective January 1, 2019. Under ASC 842, the Company determines if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included as right-of-use assets ("ROU Assets") and lease liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company has elected not to recognize ROU Assets or lease liabilities for leases with lease terms of one year or less.

Lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term at commencement date, with an ROU Asset of the same amount. For leases that contain fixed non-lease payments, the Company accounts for the lease and non-lease components as a single lease component. Variable lease payments, which primarily include payments for non-lease components such as maintenance costs, are excluded from the ROU Assets and lease liabilities and are recognized in the period in which the obligation for those payments is incurred. As the Company's operating leases do not provide an implicit interest rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date, which is the estimated rate the Company would be required to pay for a collateralized borrowing equal to the total lease payments over the term of the lease, in determining the present value of future payments. The initial measurement of the ROU Asset also includes any lease payments made, adjusted for lease incentives. The lease term for all of the Company's leases includes the noncancelable period of the lease plus any additional periods covered by options that the Company is reasonably certain to exercise, either to extend or to not terminate the lease. Lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

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.

Segment Information

The Company realigned its business in April 2019, and as a result, its chief operating decision maker ("CODM") now regularly reviews disaggregated financial information for various operating segments. The Company's reportable segments now include (i) Precigen; (ii) MBP; (iii) the Fine Chemicals division, which is an operating division of Intrexon; (iv) Okanagan; and (v) Trans Ova. All of Intrexon's consolidated subsidiaries and operating divisions that did not meet the quantitative thresholds to report separately are combined and reported in a single category, All Other. See Note 1 for a description of Precigen, MBP, Okanagan, and Trans Ova. Corporate expenses, which are not allocated to the segments and are managed at a consolidated level, include costs associated with general and administrative functions, including the Company's finance, accounting, legal, human resources, information technology, corporate communication, and investor relations functions. Corporate expenses exclude interest expense, depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation expense, and equity in net loss of affiliates and include unrealized and realized gains and losses on the Company's securities portfolio as well as dividend income. The Company's segment presentation has been recast to retrospectively reflect the change from one reportable segment to multiple reportable segments. See Note 19 for further discussion of the Company's segments.

Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

The Company adopted ASC 842 on January 1, 2019 using the modified retrospective method as of the adoption date without restating prior periods. In addition, the Company elected to use the package of practical expedients which allowed the Company to not have to reassess whether expired or existing contracts contain leases under the new definition of a lease or the lease classification for expired or existing leases under ASC Topic 840. As a result of the adoption of ASC 842, the Company recorded ROU Assets and lease liabilities of approximately $43,500 and $45,500, respectively, as of January 1, 2019. The difference between the ROU Assets and lease liabilities primarily represents the balance of deferred rent as of December 31, 2018 that resulted from historical straight-lining of operating leases expense, which was reclassified upon adoption to reduce the measurement of the ROU Assets. There was no impact to accumulated deficit.

In June 2018, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-07, Compensation-Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Nonemployee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU 2018-07"). The provisions of ASU 2018-07 expand the scope of ASC Topic 718 to include share-based payment transactions for acquiring goods and services from nonemployees. The Company adopted this standard effective January 1, 2019, and there was no material impact to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements

In October 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-18, Collaborative Arrangements (Topic 808): Clarifying the Interaction between Topic 808 and Topic 606 ("ASU 2018-18"). The provisions of ASU 2018-18 clarify when certain transactions between collaborative arrangement participants should be accounted for under ASC Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers ("ASC 606"), and incorporates unit-of-account guidance consistent with ASC 606 to aid in this determination. 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 October 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-17, Consolidation (Topic 810): Targeted Improvements to Related Party Guidance for Variable Interest Entities ("ASU 2018-17"). The provisions of ASU 2018-17 modify the guidance under ASC Topic 810 related to the evaluation of indirect interests held through related parties under common control when determining whether fees paid to decision makers and service providers are variable interests. Indirect interests held through related parties that are under common control are no longer considered to be the equivalent of direct interests in their entirety and instead should be considered on a proportional basis. This guidance more closely aligns with accounting of how indirect interests held through related parties under common control are considered for determining whether a reporting entity must consolidate a VIE. 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 August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Customer's Accounting for Implementation Costs Incurred in a Cloud Computing Arrangement That Is a Service Contract ("ASU 2018-15"). The provisions of ASU 2018-15 clarify the accounting for implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract. The new standard requires an entity (customer) in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract to follow existing internal-use software guidance to determine which implementation costs to capitalize as an asset related to the service contract and which costs to expense. Capitalized implementation costs of a hosting arrangement that is a service contract should be amortized over the term of the hosting arrangement, which might extend beyond the noncancelable period if there are options to extend or terminate. ASU 2018-15 also specifies the financial statement presentation of capitalized implementation costs and related amortization, in addition to required disclosures for material capitalized implementation costs related to hosting arrangements that are service contracts. 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 August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurements (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurements ("ASU 2018-13"). The provisions of ASU 2018-13 modify the disclosures related to recurring and nonrecurring fair value measurements. Disclosures related to the transfer of assets between Level 1 and Level 2 hierarchies have been eliminated and various additional disclosures related to Level 3 fair value measurements have been added, modified or removed. The guidance is effective for annual periods and interim periods within those annual periods beginning after December 15, 2019, but entities are permitted to early adopt either the entire standard or only the provisions that eliminate or modify the requirements. This standard 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 June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). The provisions of ASU 2016-13 modify the impairment model to utilize an expected loss methodology in place of the currently used incurred loss methodology, and requires a consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. 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 April 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-04, Codification Improvements to Topic 326, Financial Instruments-Credit Losses, Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging, and Topic 825, Financial Instruments ("ASU 2019-04"). The provisions of ASU 2019-04 clarify and improve areas of guidance related to ASU 2016-13 and ASC Topic 825, Financial Instruments ("ASC 825"). The amendments to ASU 2016-13 have the same effective date as the original ASU and are effective for the Company for the year ending December 31, 2020. The amendments to ASC 825 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted, and are 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.