CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
REVENUES:
License fees	$ 899,998	$ 263,757	$ 292,904
Royalties from product sales	541,681	756,950	945,521
Grant income	2,222,458	2,767,181	2,336,325
Sale of research products	251,190	646,271	133,268
Total revenues	3,915,327	4,434,159	3,708,018
Cost of sales	(434,271)	(79,397)	(27,718)
Total revenues, net	3,481,056	4,354,762	3,680,300
EXPENSES:
Research and development	(18,116,688)	(13,699,691)	(8,191,314)
General and administrative	(10,365,045)	(9,341,502)	(5,341,119)
Total expenses	(28,481,733)	(23,041,193)	(13,532,433)
Loss from operations	(25,000,677)	(18,686,431)	(9,852,133)
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSES):
Interest income/(expense), net	19,383	29,727	(124,300)
Loss on sale of fixed assets	(6,856)	(6,246)	0
Modification cost of warrants	0	0	(2,142,201)
Other income/(expense), net	(317,710)	219,067	(68,573)
Total other income/(expenses), net	(305,183)	242,548	(2,335,074)
NET LOSS	(25,305,860)	(18,443,883)	(12,187,207)
Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest	3,880,157	1,928,383	1,002,589
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO BIOTIME, INC.	(21,425,703)	(16,515,500)	(11,184,618)
Foreign currency translation gain/(loss)	63,179	(1,020,087)	897,338
COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	$ (21,362,524)	$ (17,535,587)	$ (10,287,280)
BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER COMMON SHARE (in dollars per share)	$ (0.44)	$ (0.35)	$ (0.28)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING: BASIC AND DILUTED (in shares)	49,213,687	47,053,518	40,266,311