Merger with Glycosan BioSystems, Inc (Details) (Merger with Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. [Member], USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 21, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 18, 2011
Merger with Glycosan BioSystems, Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Date of acquisition		Mar. 21, 2011
Assumed obligations				$ 252,000
Number of shares issued as part of acquisition (in shares)	332,903
Warrants issued to purchase common shares (in shares)	206,613
Intangible assets, useful life			10 years
Components of the purchase price [Abstract]
BioTime common shares	2,600,000
BioTime warrants	954,879
Total purchase price	3,554,879
Assets acquired and liabilities assumed [Abstract]
Cash	5,908
Other current assets	64,520
Property, plant and equipment, net	81,183
Intangible assets	3,592,039
Current liabilities	(188,771)
Net assets acquired	$ 3,554,879
Fair value share issued (in dollars per share)	$ 7.81
Number of trading days preceding the agreement used for share price calculation			10 days
Expected term	3 years
Risk-free interest rates (in hundredths)	1.12%
Expected dividend yield (in hundredths)	0.00%
Expected volatility (in hundredths)	109.01%
Stock price (in dollars per share)	$ 7.56
Exercise price (in dollars per share)	$ 10