Note 12 - Acquisitions - Consideration (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands							12 Months Ended
	Sep. 01, 2021	May 03, 2021	Oct. 01, 2020	Nov. 12, 2019	Aug. 08, 2019	Apr. 01, 2019	Dec. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
BioLife stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 60.50	$ 35.07
Value of issued shares							$ 264,718	$ 0	$ 0
BioLife shares outstanding (as of March 19, 2021) (in shares)		33,401,359
Sexton Acquisition [Member]
Merger consideration shares (in shares)	530,502
Value of issued shares	$ 32,095
plus: Fair value of BioLife’s existing investment in Sexton	7,951
less: Net working capital adjustment	(118)
Merger Consideration	39,928
Working capital adjustment	$ 118
SciSafe Holdings, Inc [Member]
Merger consideration shares (in shares)			611,683
Value of issued shares			$ 17,916
less: Net working capital adjustment			53
Merger Consideration			36,526
Cash consideration			15,000
Contingent consideration			3,663
Working capital adjustment			$ (53)
CBS Acquisition [Member]
Value of issued shares				$ 4,000			0	0	4,000
Merger Consideration				15,856
Cash consideration				11,000
Contingent consideration				$ 856
SAVSU [Member]
Merger consideration shares (in shares)					1,100,000
Value of issued shares					$ 19,932		$ 0	$ 0	$ 19,932
plus: Fair value of BioLife’s existing investment in Sexton					$ 15,900
Astero [Member]
less: Net working capital adjustment						$ 71
Merger Consideration						13,941
Cash consideration						12,521
Contingent consideration						1,491
Working capital adjustment						$ (71)
GCI Acquisition [Member]
Merger consideration shares (in shares)		6,636,470
Value of issued shares		$ 232,741
Merger Consideration		$ 234,909
Merger consideration percentage		19.90%
Merger consideration shares (in shares)		6,646,870
less: Merger consideration shares withheld to satisfy outstanding GCI stockholder obligations to GCI (in shares)		10,400
plus: Settlement of BioLife prepaid deposits		$ 2,152
plus: Net settlement of BioLife accounts receivable		$ 16