Collaboration and Licensing Revenue - Additional Information (Details)	1 Months Ended																	5 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Apr. 30, 2019	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	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2013 USD ($) shares	Oct. 31, 2012 USD ($) shares	Jan. 31, 2011 USD ($) shares	May 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2018	Jan. 01, 2018 USD ($)	Jan. 01, 2017 USD ($)
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																			$ 90,722,000	$ 151,178,000	$ 219,463,000
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606																								$ 26,507,000	$ 0
Fair value of assets		$ 120,949,000																	9,260,000	120,949,000
Deferred revenue		57,816,000																	53,833,000	57,816,000
Reacquisition of in-process research and development																			0	236,748,000	0
Shares issued for reacquired in-process research and development																				159,323,000
Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																			14,059,000	69,540,000	134,624,000
Deferred revenue		54,323,000																	$ 50,593,000	54,323,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement																			90 days
Licensing agreement between ZIOPHARM and Precigen 2018
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
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%
Transition period during which costs will be reimbursed				1 year
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
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
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative arrangement consideration received, number of preferred shares (in shares) | shares								100,000
Reacquisition of in-process research and development				109,047,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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																			$ 2,171,000	16,298,000	69,812,000
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) | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																	1,115,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Single performance obligation | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value																	$ 16,342,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Milestone consideration | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606																								873,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | ZIOPHARM ECC 2 | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues					$ 28,943,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Contract modification consideration | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Cumulative effect of adoption of ASC 606																								$ 32,422,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Reacquired in-process research & development | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue																						49,329,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Transition services | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue				1,855,000																		$ 1,755,000
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Historical cost reimbursement | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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 for reacquired in-process research and development		$ 140,353,000
Royalty percentage to be paid to other party		0.10
Ares Trading S.A. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value													$ 115,000,000
Revenues																			$ 0	11,175,000	10,738,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration receivable, minimum targets required | target													2
Ares Trading S.A. | Reacquired in-process research & development | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Deferred revenue			$ 31,826,000
Ares Trading S.A. | Research & development services | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Payments to related parties													$ 57,500,000
Oragenics, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Revenues																			$ (564,000)	1,353,000	1,469,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value of convertible promissory note												$ 5,000,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement												90 days
Oragenics, Inc. | Maximum | Oragenics ECC
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, one-time						$ 37,500,000
Intrexon T1D Partners, LLC | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value									$ 10,000,000
Revenues																			0	2,502,000	5,968,000
Genten Therapeutics, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value							$ 3,000,000
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, cash							1,500,000
CRS Bio, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value							$ 2,100,000
Relieve Genetics, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value									4,333,000
Intrexon Energy Partners, LLC | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value														$ 25,000,000
Revenues																			2,596,000	6,929,000	10,665,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement														90 days
Intrexon Energy Partners II, LLC | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, value										$ 18,000,000
Revenues																			1,217,000	2,998,000	3,672,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement										90 days
Exotech Bio, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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 | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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
Fibrocell Science, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
License agreement, percentage of sublicensing income	50.00%
Fibrocell Science, Inc. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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																			3,713,000	$ 1,394,000	$ 7,344,000
Required notice period for voluntary termination of collaborative agreement										90 days						90 days
Collaborative agreement, consideration received, cash																			$ 3,750,000
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. | Collaboration and licensing agreements
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 | Collaboration and licensing agreements
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Milestone payments required upon successful achievement, per product											$ 5,500,000
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 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%
ZIOPHARM Oncology, Inc. | Preferred stock
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Fair value of assets																						$ 158,376,000
Oragenics, Inc.
Collaboration Agreements [Line Items]
Conversion of promissory note into common stock (in shares) | shares										338,100