CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012
REVENUES:
License fees	$ 349,824	$ 36,468
Royalties from product sales	107,599	147,402
Grant income	90,326	400,809
Sale of research products	66,724	67,535
Total revenues	614,473	652,214
Cost of sales	(182,749)	(20,268)
Total revenues, net	431,724	631,946
EXPENSES:
Research and development	(5,395,488)	(4,178,781)
General and administrative	(3,416,145)	(2,368,705)
Total expenses	(8,811,633)	(6,547,486)
Loss from operations	(8,379,909)	(5,915,540)
OTHER INCOME/(EXPENSES):
Interest income, net	943	8,298
Other expense, net	(29,579)	(327,095)
Total other expenses, net	(28,636)	(318,797)
NET LOSS	(8,408,545)	(6,234,337)
Less: Net loss attributable to the noncontrolling interest	689,282	1,260,995
NET LOSS ATTRIBUTABLE TO BIOTIME, INC.	(7,719,263)	(4,973,342)
Foreign currency translation gain	148,437	124,089
TOTAL COMPREHENSIVE LOSS	$ (7,570,826)	$ (4,849,253)
BASIC AND DILUTED LOSS PER COMMON SHARE (in dollars per share)	$ (0.15)	$ (0.1)
WEIGHTED AVERAGE NUMBER OF COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING: BASIC AND DILUTED (in shares)	51,175,649	49,035,788