YIELD10 Bioscience (YTENQ) 10-Q 9 Nov 17 2017 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

DOCUMENT AND ENTITY INFORMATION

DOCUMENT AND ENTITY INFORMATION - shares	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Nov. 06, 2017
Document and Entity Information
Entity registrant name	YIELD10 BIOSCIENCE, INC.
Entity central index key	1,121,702
Current fiscal year end date	--12-31
Entity filer category	Smaller Reporting Company
Document type	10-Q
Document period end date	Sep. 30, 2017
Document fiscal year focus	2,017
Document fiscal period focus	Q3
Amendment flag	false
Entity common stock, shares outstanding		3,461,714
Entity current reporting status	Yes

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 2,951	$ 7,309
Accounts receivable	135	66
Due from related party	0	1
Unbilled receivables	102	121
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	296	363
Total current assets	3,484	7,860
Restricted cash	432	432
Property and equipment, net	1,587	1,739
Deferred equity financing costs	0	622
Other assets	69	95
Total assets	5,572	10,748
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	48	56
Accrued expenses	1,938	2,702
Total current liabilities	1,986	2,758
Lease incentive obligation, net of current portion	1,037	1,132
Contract termination obligation, net of current portion	0	489
Total liabilities	3,023	4,379
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)
Stockholders’ Equity:
Preferred stock ($0.01 par value per share); 5,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued or outstanding	0	0
Common stock ($0.01 par value per share); 250,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016; 3,454,601 and 2,834,244 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively	35	28
Additional paid-in capital	342,796	339,782
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(81)	(84)
Accumulated deficit	(340,201)	(333,357)
Total stockholders’ equity	2,549	6,369
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 5,572	$ 10,748

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Preferred stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock shares authorized	250,000,000	250,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	28,402,471	28,342,625
Common stock, shares outstanding	28,402,471	28,342,625

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Revenue:
Grant revenue	$ 223	$ 473	$ 840	$ 818
Total revenue	223	473	840	818
Expenses:
Research and development	1,132	1,547	3,379	4,522
General and administrative	1,073	1,530	4,215	4,951
Total expenses	2,205	3,077	7,594	9,473
Loss from continuing operations	(1,982)	(2,604)	(6,754)	(8,655)
Other expense, net	(43)	(8)	(90)	(4)
Net loss from continuing operations before income tax benefit	(2,025)	(2,612)	(6,844)	(8,659)
Income tax benefit	0	1,042	0	1,042
Net loss from continuing operations	(2,025)	(1,570)	(6,844)	(7,617)
Discontinued operations:
Income from discontinued operations	0	6,853	0	3,204
Income tax expense	0	(1,259)	0	(1,259)
Total loss from discontinued operations	0	5,594	0	1,945
Net (loss) income	$ (2,025)	$ 4,024	$ (6,844)	$ (5,672)
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:
Net loss from continuing operations (in USD per share)	$ (0.59)	$ (0.56)	$ (2.25)	$ (2.75)
Net loss from discontinued operations (in USD per share)	0	2	0	0.70
Net loss per share (in USD per share)	$ (0.59)	$ 1.44	$ (2.25)	$ (2.05)
Number of shares used in per share calculations:
Basic & Diluted (in shares)	3,410,847	2,786,900	3,035,352	2,765,200

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME5

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss):	$ (2,025)	$ 4,024	$ (6,844)	$ (5,672)
Other comprehensive loss
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment	3	(3)	3	(9)
Total other comprehensive loss	3	(3)	3	(9)
Comprehensive income (loss)	$ (2,022)	$ 4,021	$ (6,841)	$ (5,681)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEME6

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$ (6,844)	$ (5,672)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation	158	458
Charge for 401(k) company common stock match	68	259
Stock-based compensation	1,063	1,155
Inventory impairment	0	199
Non-cash income tax expense	0	217
Gain on sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment	0	9,833
Non-cash restructuring expense paid through stock and equipment	0	196
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivables	(69)	40
Due from related party	1	145
Unbilled receivables	19	(197)
Inventory	0	180
Prepaid expenses and other assets	715	1,413
Accounts payable	(8)	122
Accrued expenses	(828)	(1,047)
Contract termination obligation and other long-term liabilities	(584)	655
Deferred revenue	0	(277)
Net cash (used for) provided by operating activities	(6,309)	(11,987)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property and equipment	(6)	(721)
Proceeds from sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment	0	10,317
Change in restricted cash	0	187
Net cash used for investing activities	(6)	9,783
Cash flows from financing activities
Taxes paid related to net share settlement upon vesting of stock awards	(12)	(274)
Proceeds from registered direct offering	1,966	0
Net cash provided by (used for) financing activities	1,954	(274)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents	3	(9)
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents	(4,358)	(2,487)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	7,309	12,269
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	2,951	9,782
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information:
Lease incentive paid by lessor	0	1,332
Write-off of deferred financing costs related to Aspire stock purchase agreement	(450)	0
Transfer of equipment to settle contractual liability	0	111
Issuance of common stock to settle contractual liability	$ 0	$ 85

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. ("Yield10 Bioscience," "Yield10" or the "Company") was founded as Metabolix, Inc. in 1992 and changed its name in January 2017. Yield10 is an agricultural bioscience company focusing on the development of new technologies to enable step-change increases in crop yield to enhance global food security. Yield10 is using two proprietary advanced biotechnology trait gene discovery platforms to improve fundamental crop yield through enhanced photosynthetic carbon capture and increased carbon utilization efficiency to increase seed yield. These platforms are based on the principle that plants which capture and utilize carbon more efficiently will enable more robust crops capable of increased seed yield. Yield10 is working to translate and demonstrate the commercial value of novel yield trait genes it has identified in major crops and to identify additional genome editing targets for improved crop performance in several key food and feed crops, including canola, soybean, rice and corn. Yield10 Bioscience is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts and has an additional agricultural science facility with greenhouses located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements are unaudited and have been prepared by Yield10 in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) and pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in the Company’s annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted. The year-end condensed consolidated balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP. The condensed consolidated financial statements, in the opinion of management, reflect all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods ended September 30, 2017 and 2016 . The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations to be expected for any future period or the entire fiscal year. These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2016 , which are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2017. On May 26, 2017, the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its common stock. The ratio for the reverse stock split was determined by the Company's board of directors following approval by stockholders at the Company's annual meeting held on May 24, 2017. Unless otherwise indicated, all share amounts, per share data, share prices, exercise prices, and conversion rates set forth in these notes and the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have, where applicable, been adjusted retroactively to reflect this reverse stock split. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on a basis which assumes that the Company will continue as a going concern and which contemplates the realization of assets and satisfaction of liabilities and commitments in the normal course of business. With the exception of 2012, when the Company recognized $38,885 of deferred revenue from a terminated joint venture, the Company has recorded losses since its initial founding, including its fiscal quarter ending September 30, 2017. During 2016, the Company completed a strategic restructuring under which Yield10 Bioscience became its core business. In connection with the restructuring, the Company discontinued its pilot biopolymer production and other biopolymer operations, sold substantially all of its biopolymer assets to CJ CheilJedang Corporation ("CJ") for a total purchase price of $10,000 and reduced staffing levels to approximately twenty full-time employees as of December 31, 2016, in order to focus on crop science activities and significantly reduce the Company's cash burn rate used in operations. During 2016, the Company recorded restructuring charges of $3,513 and as of September 30, 2017, restructuring obligations of $789 remain outstanding with various payment due dates through May 2018. As of September 30, 2017, the Company held unrestricted cash and cash equivalents of $2,951 . On July 7, 2017, the Company completed a registered direct offering of its securities and raised net proceeds from the transaction of approximately $1,966 . As a result of raising these additional funds, the Company anticipates that its current cash resources will be sufficient to fund operations and meet its obligations, including its remaining restructuring obligations, when due, into the first quarter of 2018. This forecast of cash resources is forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties, and the actual amount of expenses could vary materially and adversely as a result of a number of factors. The Company has evaluated the guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board's ("FASB") Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) in order to determine whether there is substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern for one year after the date its financial statements are issued. The Company's ability to continue operations after its current cash resources are exhausted depends on its ability to obtain additional financing through, among other sources, public or private equity financing, secured or unsecured debt financing, equity or debt bridge financing, additional government research grants or collaborative arrangements with third parties, as to which no assurances can be given. Management does not know whether additional financing will be available on terms favorable or acceptable to the Company when needed, if at all. If adequate additional funds are not available when required, or if the Company is unsuccessful in entering collaborative arrangements for further research, management may be forced to curtail the Company's research efforts, explore strategic alternatives and/or wind down its operations and pursue options for liquidating its remaining assets, including intellectual property and equipment. Based on the cash forecast, management has determined that the Company's present capital resources are not sufficient to fund its planned operations for the twelve months from the date that the financial statements are issued, which raises substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern. In October 2015, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire Capital Fund, LLC, (Aspire) under which Aspire was committed to purchase, at the Company's direction, up to an aggregate of $20,000 of shares of the Company's common stock over a 30 month period. Aspire purchase transactions would have utilized pricing formulas that qualify them as variable rate transactions, as defined in the securities purchase agreement entered into in connection with the Company's securities offering completed in July 2017. Because variable rate transactions are prohibited by the securities agreement entered into in conjunction with the Company's equity offering completed during July 2017, the Aspire facility is no longer available to the Company as a source of capital.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

ACCOUNTING POLICIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
ACCOUNTING POLICIES	ACCOUNTING POLICIES During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-09, Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting ("ASU No. 2016-09"). ASU No. 2016-09 involves several aspects of the accounting of share-based payment transactions of which the accounting for forfeitures of stock awards is the most significant for the Company. Under the adopted guidance, the Company made an accounting policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur rather than continue with the previous method of estimating forfeiture rates when determining the fair value of service-based stock awards and then adjusting compensation expense in later periods for actual forfeitures as they occur or to reverse the effects of the estimated forfeiture rates if a forfeiture does not occur. The Company previously provided a forfeiture rate of approximately 6 percent . Due to the nature of vesting terms of the Company's stock options, the adoption of this standard had no material impact on the Company's operations or financial position. Other than ASU No. 2016-09, there have been no material changes in accounting policies since the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2016 , as described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year then ended. Principles of Consolidation The Company's consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions were eliminated, including transactions with its Canadian subsidiary, Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc. On September 16, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its biopolymer intellectual property and certain equipment and inventory to an affiliate of CJ in a transaction that met the requirements for discontinued operations reporting in accordance with ASU No. 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity . The condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ending September 30, 2016, have been presented to reflect the Company's biopolymer operation as a discontinued operation. Restructuring In July 2016, the Company announced a strategic restructuring under which Yield10 Bioscience became its core business and its biopolymer operations were discontinued. The Company records estimated restructuring charges for employee severance and contract termination costs as a current period expense as those costs become contractually fixed, probable and estimable. Obligations associated with these charges are reduced or adjusted as payments are made or the Company's estimates are revised. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Foreign Currency Translation Foreign denominated assets and liabilities of the Company's wholly owned foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rates in effect on the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Any resulting translation gains or losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheet. When the Company dissolves, sells or substantially sells all of the assets of a consolidated foreign subsidiary, the cumulative translation gain or loss of that subsidiary is released from comprehensive income (loss) and included within its consolidated statement of operations during the fiscal period when the dissolution or sale occurs. Income Taxes Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities using future enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance is recorded against deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the realization of favorable tax attributes in future tax returns, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its otherwise recognizable net deferred tax assets. The Company follows the accounting guidance related to income taxes including guidance which addresses accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. This guidance prescribes a threshold for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. It also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transitions. The Company had no amounts recorded for any unrecognized tax benefits as of September 30, 2017 or December 31, 2016 . For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company recognized an income tax benefit of $1,042 and tax expense in discontinued operations for both periods of $1,259 related to discontinuation of its biopolymer operations. Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents. The Company has historically invested its cash equivalents in highly rated money market funds, corporate debt, federal agency notes and U.S. treasury notes. Investments, when purchased, are acquired in accordance with the Company’s investment policy which establishes a concentration limit per issuer. At September 30, 2017 , the Company’s cash equivalents are invested solely in money market funds. The Company provides credit to customers in the normal course of business. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and limits the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary. At September 30, 2017 , 94% of the Company's accounts and unbilled receivables of $237 are due from U.S. government grants.

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENT

RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
New Accounting Pronouncements and Changes in Accounting Principles [Abstract]
RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that are adopted as of the specified effective date. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments . The new standard clarifies certain aspects of the statement of cash flows, including the classification of debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity method investees and beneficial interests in securitization transactions. The new standard also clarifies that an entity should determine each separately identifiable source or use within the cash receipts and cash payments on the basis of the nature of the underlying cash flows. In situations in which cash receipts and payments have aspects of more than one class of cash flows and cannot be separated by source or use, the appropriate classification should depend on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flows for the item. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . The new standard changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments. Under the new standard, entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income are to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. An allowance for credit losses will be a valuation account that will be deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard requires that all lessees recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet and disclose qualitative and quantitative information about their leasing arrangements. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities . The new standard amends certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair values be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in the Company's results of operations. The new standard does not apply to investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee. Equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values may be measured at fair value or at cost minus impairment adjusted for changes in observable prices. A financial liability that is measured at fair value in accordance with the fair value option is required to be presented separately in other comprehensive income for the portion of the total change in the fair value resulting from change in the instrument-specific credit risk. In addition, a valuation allowance should be evaluated on deferred tax assets related to available-for-sale debt securities in combination with other deferred tax assets. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The ASU is the result of a joint project by the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") that would: remove inconsistencies and weaknesses, provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, jurisdictions, industries, and capital markets, improve disclosure requirements and resulting financial statements, and simplify the presentation of financial statements. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB voted to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year, but to permit entities to choose to adopt the standard as of the original date. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the effects the new revenue standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company intends to complete the process during 2017 and adopt the standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective adoption transition method. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (L

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE	BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE Basic net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted net income (loss) per share is computed by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted-average number of dilutive common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted shares outstanding is calculated by adding to the weighted shares outstanding any potential (unissued) shares of common stock from outstanding stock options and warrants based on the treasury stock method, as well as weighted shares outstanding of any potential (unissued) shares of common stock from restricted stock units. In periods when a net loss is reported, all common stock equivalents are excluded from the calculation because they would have an anti-dilutive effect, meaning the loss per share would be reduced. Therefore, in periods when a loss is reported, there is no difference in basic and dilutive loss per share. Common stock equivalents include stock options, restricted stock awards and warrants. On May 26, 2017, the Company effected a 1-for-10 reverse stock split of its common stock. The calculation of basic and diluted net loss per share, as presented in the accompanying condensed consolidated statement of operations, have been determined based on a retroactive adjustment of weighted average shares outstanding for all periods presented. The number of shares of potentially dilutive common stock presented on a weighted average basis, related to options, restricted stock units and warrants (prior to consideration of the treasury stock method) that were excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares since the inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are shown below. Issued and outstanding warrants shown in the table below are described in greater detail in Note 11, contained herein. Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Options 626,263 92,600 621,030 93,159 Restricted stock units 14,367 58,824 16,770 82,766 Warrants 920,655 393,300 571,017 393,300 Total 1,561,285 544,724 1,208,817 569,225

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS The Company has certain financial assets recorded at fair value which have been classified as Level 1 within the fair value hierarchy as described in the accounting standards for fair value measurements. Fair value is the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or the price paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between independent market participants at the measurement date. Fair values determined by Level 1 inputs utilize observable data such as quoted prices in active markets for identical instruments. Fair values determined by Level 2 inputs utilize data points other than quoted prices in active markets that are observable either directly or indirectly. Fair values determined by Level 3 inputs utilize unobservable data points in which there is little or no market data, which require the reporting entity to develop its own assumptions. The fair value hierarchy level is determined by the lowest level of significant input. At September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company did not own any Level 2 or Level 3 financial assets or liabilities and there were no transfers of financial assets or liabilities between category levels. The Company's assets are measured at fair value on a recurring basis. The balance of Level 1 assets as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 were $1,023 and $1,018 , respectively, and for both periods the assets were invested in money market funds classified in cash and cash equivalents.

ACCRUED EXPENSES

ACCRUED EXPENSES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
ACCRUED EXPENSES	ACCRUED EXPENSES Accrued expenses consisted of the following at: September 30, December 31, Employee compensation and benefits $ 203 $ 713 Contract termination obligation 727 939 Professional services 315 459 Other 693 591 Total accrued expenses $ 1,938 $ 2,702

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION	STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION Expense Information for Employee Stock Awards The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock awards of $400 and $1,063 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 , respectively. The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock awards of $254 and $1,155 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Of the amounts reflected for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, $16 and $212 were included in discontinued operations within the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations. At September 30, 2017 , there was approximately $1,260 of pre-tax stock-based compensation expense related to unvested awards not yet recognized. The compensation expense related to unvested stock options is expected to be recognized over a remaining weighted average period of 1.07 years. Stock Options A summary of option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is as follows: Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding at December 31, 2016 605,077 $ 34.49 Granted 47,150 3.94 Exercised — — Forfeited (2,534 ) 5.55 Expired (23,508 ) 417.30 Outstanding at September 30, 2017 626,185 $ 17.93 Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2017 626,185 $ 17.93 Options exercisable at September 30, 2017 246,545 $ 37.40 Restricted Stock Units Restricted Stock Units ("RSUs") awarded to employees generally vest in four equal annual installments beginning one year after the date of grant, subject to service conditions. RSUs awarded to non-employee directors generally vest one year after the date of grant, with the exception of RSUs granted in lieu of cash compensation, which vest immediately. The Company records stock compensation expense for RSUs on a straight line basis over their vesting period based on each RSU's award date market value. The Company pays minimum federal, state or provincial income tax withholding associated with RSUs for its U.S. and Canadian employees. As the RSUs vest, the Company withholds a number of shares with an aggregate fair market value equal to the minimum tax withholding amount (unless the employee makes other arrangements for payment of the tax withholding) from the common stock issuable at the vest date. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, the Company paid $12 and $274 , respectively, for income tax withholdings associated with RSUs that vested during these periods. A summary of RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is as follows: Number of RSUs Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years) Outstanding at December 31, 2016 21,735 Awarded 25,337 Common stock issued upon vesting (32,542 ) Forfeited (163 ) Outstanding at September 30, 2017 14,367 1.00 Weighted average remaining recognition period 1.50

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Lease Commitments During 2016, the Company entered into a lease agreement, pursuant to which the Company leases approximately 29,622 square feet of office and research and development space located at 19 Presidential Way, Woburn, Massachusetts. The lease began on June 1, 2016 and will end on November 30, 2026. The Company provided the landlord with a security deposit in the form of a letter of credit in the amount of $307 . Pursuant to the lease, the Company will also pay certain taxes and operating costs associated with the premises during the term of the lease. During the buildout of the rented space, the landlord paid $889 for tenant improvements to the facility and an additional $444 for tenant improvements that result in increased rental payments by the Company. The current and non-current portions of the lease incentive obligations related to the landlord’s contributions toward the cost of tenant improvements are recorded within accrued expenses and long-term lease incentive obligation, respectively, in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheet contained herein. In October 2016, the Company entered into a sublease agreement with CJ for the sublease of approximately 9,874 square feet of its leased facility located in Woburn, Massachusetts. The sublease space was determined to be in excess of the Company's needs as a result of its strategic shift to Yield10 Bioscience and the related restructuring of its operations. The sublease term is coterminous with the Company's master lease. CJ pays rent and operating expenses equal to approximately one-third of the amounts payable to the landlord by the Company, as adjusted from time-to-time in accordance with the terms of the master lease. Total future minimum operating lease payments of $6,854 shown below are net of the CJ sublease payments. CJ has provided the Company with a security deposit of $103 in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit. The Company also leases approximately 13,702 square feet of office and laboratory space at 650 Suffolk Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. The lease for this facility expires in May 2020, with an option to renew for one five -year period. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc. ("MOI"), located in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, leases approximately 4,100 square feet of office, laboratory and greenhouse space. MOI's leases for its various leased facilities expire between September 30, 2017 and July 31, 2018. The Company expects to renew these Canadian leases prior to their expiration. Annual base rental payments remaining due under the Company's leases, net of sublease payments expected from CJ, are as follows: Year ended December 31, Minimum lease payments 2017 (October to December) $ 226 2018 877 2019 855 2020 734 2021 654 2022 and thereafter 3,508 Total $ 6,854 Contractual Commitments In connection with the discontinuation of biopolymer operations, the Company ceased pilot production of biopolymer material and reached agreements during 2016 with the owner-operators of its biopolymer pilot production facilities regarding the termination of their services. The Company recorded contract termination costs related to these manufacturing agreements of $2,641 during the quarter ended September 30, 2016, which was recorded within discontinued operations in the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations for the year ended December 31, 2016. As of September 30, 2017, $728 remains outstanding and is payable in quarterly installments through May 2018. The short and long-term portions of these contract liabilities are recorded in accrued expenses and contract termination obligation, respectively, in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets contained herein. Litigation From time-to-time, the Company may be subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business. The Company is not currently aware of any such proceedings or claims that it believes will have, individually or in the aggregate, a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition or the results of operations. Guarantees As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, the Company did not have significant liabilities recorded for guarantees. The Company enters into indemnification provisions under various agreements with other companies in the ordinary course of business, typically with business partners, contractors, and customers. Under these provisions, the Company generally indemnifies and holds harmless the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party as a result of its activities. These indemnification provisions generally survive termination of the underlying agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification provisions is unlimited. However, to date Yield10 Bioscience has not incurred material costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification provisions. As a result, the estimated fair value of the indemnifications under these agreements is believed to be minimal. Accordingly, the Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION	GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION The geographic distribution of the Company’s operating revenues from continuing operations and long-lived assets are summarized in the tables below: U.S. Canada Eliminations Total Three Months Ended September 30, 2017: Net revenues from external customers $ 223 $ — $ — $ 223 Inter-geographic revenues — 324 (324 ) — Net revenues $ 223 $ 324 $ (324 ) $ 223 Three Months Ended September 30, 2016: Net revenues from external customers $ 473 $ — $ — $ 473 Inter-geographic revenues — 247 (247 ) — Net revenues $ 473 $ 247 $ (247 ) $ 473 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017: Net revenues from external customers $ 840 $ — $ — $ 840 Inter-geographic revenues — 857 (857 ) — Net revenues $ 840 $ 857 $ (857 ) $ 840 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016: Net revenues from external customers $ 818 $ — $ — $ 818 Inter-geographic revenues — 674 (674 ) — Net revenues $ 818 $ 674 $ (674 ) $ 818 Foreign revenue is based on the country in which the Company’s subsidiary that earned the revenue is domiciled. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 , revenue earned from the Company’s Camelina grants with the U.S. Department of Energy totaled $223 and $810 , respectively, and represented 100% and 96% , respectively, of total revenue. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, revenue earned from the Company's Camelina grants totaled $304 and $649 , respectively, and represented 64% and 79% of total revenue, respectively, for both periods. The geographic distribution of the Company’s long-lived assets is summarized as follows: U.S. Canada Eliminations Total September 30, 2017 $ 1,581 $ 6 $ — $ 1,587 December 31, 2016 $ 1,739 $ — $ — $ 1,739

LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND RELATED

LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES	LICENSE AGREEMENTS AND RELATED PARTIES The Company previously licensed certain technology to Tepha, Inc., a related party, for use in medical applications. During May 2016, the Company entered into an amendment to its license agreement with Tepha, in which the Company received a lump sum payment of $2,000 in consideration for an early buyout of all future royalties under the agreement and the licensing of two additional production strains and related intellectual property. The Company completed delivery of the technology to Tepha during the quarter ended September 30, 2016. As a result of this buyout, no further Tepha royalty or licensing revenue has been or will be earned by the Company after September 2016. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, the Company recorded license and royalty revenue from Tepha of $494 and $2,272 , respectively. As of December 31, 2016, the Company had $1 of outstanding receivables due from Tepha. The patents underlying this license agreement are now owned by CJ. As a consequence of this sale and the Company's discontinuation of its biopolymer operations, license fee and royalty revenue is included within income from discontinued operations within the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations contained in this Quarterly Report.

CAPITAL STOCK

CAPITAL STOCK	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
CAPITAL STOCK	CAPITAL STOCK Common Stock On September 12, 2017, the Company issued warrants to purchase up to 30,000 shares of common stock to the Company's investor relations consultant, in consideration for services rendered and to be rendered by the consultant. These warrants have an exercise price of $2.90 per share and are exercisable in whole or part at any time during the period commencing on September 12, 2017 and ending on September 11, 2024. On July 7, 2017, the Company completed an offering of its securities. Proceeds from the transaction were approximately $1,966 , net of estimated issuance costs of $317 . Investors participating in the transaction purchased a total of 570,784 shares of common stock at a price of $4.00 per share and an equal number of warrants with an exercise price of $5.04 per share, exercisable beginning on the six-month anniversary of the date of issuance. The warrants expire on the sixth anniversary of the date that they become exercisable. The Company reviewed the accounting guidance for warrants and has determined that the warrants should be recorded as equity within additional paid-in capital at September 30, 2017. On May 26, 2017, the Company effected a 1-for- 10 reverse stock split of its common stock. The ratio for the reverse stock split was determined by the Company's board of directors following approval by stockholders at the Company's annual meeting held on May 24, 2017. The reverse stock split reduced the number of shares of the Company's common stock outstanding at the time of the reverse stock split from approximately 28.7 million shares to approximately 2.9 million shares. Proportional adjustments were made to the Company's outstanding stock options and restricted stock units and to the number of shares issued and issuable under the Company's equity compensation plans. The number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock remained at 250 million shares. In connection with the wind down of biopolymer operations, the Company ceased pilot production of biopolymer material at its third-party biopolymer pilot production facilities. In September 2016, the Company entered into an early termination agreement with the owner-operator of one of the biopolymer production facilities. As part of the consideration for the early termination, the Company issued 27,500 unregistered shares of Yield10 Bioscience common stock (see Note 12). In October 2015, the Company entered into a common stock purchase agreement with Aspire under which Aspire was committed to purchase, at the Company's direction, up to an aggregate of $20,000 of shares of Company common stock over a 30 month period. Aspire purchase transactions would have utilized pricing formulas that qualify them as variable rate transactions, as defined in the securities purchase agreement entered into in connection with the Company's securities offering completed in July 2017. Because variable rate transactions are prohibited by the securities agreement entered into in conjunction with the Company's July 7, 2017 offering, the Aspire facility is no longer available to the Company as a source of capital. During the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company wrote off its deferred equity offering costs of $622 related to the Aspire agreement since the Company no longer intends to pursue transactions under this agreement. Expense related to this write off of deferred equity offering costs are included within general and administrative expense for the nine months ending September 30, 2017, within the Company's condensed consolidated statements of operations included herein. Common Stock Warrants The following table summarizes information with regard to outstanding warrants to purchase common stock as of September 30, 2017: Issuance Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants Exercise Price Expiration Date June 2015 Private Placement 393,300 $ 39.80 June 15, 2019 July 2017 Registered Direct Offering 570,784 $ 5.04 January 7, 2024 Consultant 30,000 $ 2.90 September 11, 2024 Total 994,084 Reserved Shares The following common stock shares were reserved for future issuance upon exercise of stock options, release of RSUs and conversion of warrants: September 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Stock Options 626,185 605,077 RSUs 14,367 21,735 Warrants 994,084 393,300 Total number of common shares reserved for future issuance 1,634,636 1,020,112 Preferred Stock The Company's Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation, as amended, authorizes it to issue up to 5 million shares of $0.01 par value preferred stock. As of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016, no preferred stock was issued or outstanding.

RESTRUCTURING

RESTRUCTURING	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
RESTRUCTURING	RESTRUCTURING In July 2016, the Company announced a strategic restructuring under which Yield10 Bioscience became its core business and its biopolymer operations were discontinued. As part of its strategic restructuring, the Company reduced staffing levels to twenty full-time employees as of December 31, 2016, and in January 2017, the Company formally changed its name to Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. For further discussion of this strategic shift see Note 13 included herein. In connection with the wind down of biopolymer operations, the Company also ceased pilot production of biopolymer materials and reached agreements with the owner-operators of its biopolymer production facilities regarding the termination of these services. Through September 30, 2017, the Company made cash payments of $2,528 , issued 27,500 shares of company common stock with a fair value of $85 and transferred certain biopolymer-related production equipment with a net book value of $111 to settle a portion of these agreements and other restructuring activities. At September 30, 2017, remaining cash restructuring costs are estimated to be $789 . Biopolymer Production Agreements Employee Severance and Related Costs Total Aggregate Charges and Amounts Accrued $ 2,641 $ 872 $ 3,513 Paid in Cash (1,717 ) (811 ) (2,528 ) Paid through Stock and Equipment (196 ) — (196 ) Ending Balance Accrued at September 30, 2017 $ 728 $ 61 $ 789 With the exception of approximately $226 of the $872 in employee severance and related costs incurred for non-biopolymer employees, total restructuring costs shown in the table were classified within discontinued operations in the Company's condensed consolidated statement of operations during the year ended December 31, 2016. Amounts related to the biopolymer production agreements are included within research and development expenses as shown in Note 13.

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS In July 2016, the Company announced a strategic restructuring plan under which Yield10 Bioscience became its core business. Yield10 Bioscience discontinued its biopolymer operations and eliminated positions in both its biopolymer operations and corporate organization. As part of this strategic shift, the Company completed the sale of its biopolymer intellectual property and certain equipment and inventory to an affiliate of CJ during September 2016. The $10,000 purchase price paid by CJ was primarily for the acquisition of intellectual property, including the Company’s PHA strains, patent rights, know-how and its rights, title and interest in certain license agreements. None of this intellectual property was previously capitalized to the Company’s balance sheet. As such, the transaction resulted in a gain on the sale of approximately $9,868 , net of the book value of the equipment sold. In addition to the CJ purchase, other parties acquired various capital equipment of the biopolymer operation for a total purchase price of approximately $428 , resulting in a net loss on sale of this equipment of approximately $35 . After 2016, the Company has not had and is not expected to have further significant involvement in the operations of the discontinued biopolymer business. The following are the operating items comprising income from discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2016 Total revenue $ 1,818 $ 4,940 Costs and expenses: Cost of product revenue 464 702 Research and development 3,793 9,438 Selling, general and administrative 510 1,429 Net gain on sale of biopolymer assets (9,833 ) (9,833 ) Total costs and expenses (5,066 ) 1,736 Other (income) or expense 31 — Income from discontinued operations 6,853 3,204 Income tax expense (1,259 ) (1,259 ) Total income from discontinued operations $ 5,594 $ 1,945 The following are the non-cash operating items related to discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2016 Non-cash operating items: Depreciation $ 111 $ 327 Charge for 401(k) company common stock match $ 5 $ 125 Stock-based compensation $ 16 $ 214 Inventory impairment $ 199 $ 199 Non-cash income tax expense $ 1,259 $ 1,259 Non-cash restructuring expense paid through stock and equipment $ 196 $ 196 Gain on sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment $ (9,833 ) $ (9,833 ) Investing items: Purchases of property and equipment $ 15 $ 193

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Principles of consolidation	Principles of Consolidation The Company's consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions were eliminated, including transactions with its Canadian subsidiary, Metabolix Oilseeds, Inc. On September 16, 2016, the Company completed the sale of its biopolymer intellectual property and certain equipment and inventory to an affiliate of CJ in a transaction that met the requirements for discontinued operations reporting in accordance with ASU No. 2014-08, Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity . The condensed consolidated financial statements for the three and nine month periods ending September 30, 2016, have been presented to reflect the Company's biopolymer operation as a discontinued operation.
Restructuring	Restructuring In July 2016, the Company announced a strategic restructuring under which Yield10 Bioscience became its core business and its biopolymer operations were discontinued. The Company records estimated restructuring charges for employee severance and contract termination costs as a current period expense as those costs become contractually fixed, probable and estimable. Obligations associated with these charges are reduced or adjusted as payments are made or the Company's estimates are revised.
Use of estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP") requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Foreign currency translation	Foreign Currency Translation Foreign denominated assets and liabilities of the Company's wholly owned foreign subsidiaries are translated into U.S. dollars at the prevailing exchange rates in effect on the balance sheet date. Revenues and expenses are translated at average exchange rates prevailing during the period. Any resulting translation gains or losses are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in the consolidated balance sheet. When the Company dissolves, sells or substantially sells all of the assets of a consolidated foreign subsidiary, the cumulative translation gain or loss of that subsidiary is released from comprehensive income (loss) and included within its consolidated statement of operations during the fiscal period when the dissolution or sale occurs.
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities are recognized based on temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities using future enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance is recorded against deferred tax assets if it is more likely than not that some or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. Due to the uncertainty surrounding the realization of favorable tax attributes in future tax returns, the Company has recorded a full valuation allowance against its otherwise recognizable net deferred tax assets. The Company follows the accounting guidance related to income taxes including guidance which addresses accounting for uncertainty in income taxes. This guidance prescribes a threshold for the financial statement recognition and measurement of a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return. It also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosures and transitions.
Concentration of credit risk	Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash and cash equivalents. The Company has historically invested its cash equivalents in highly rated money market funds, corporate debt, federal agency notes and U.S. treasury notes. Investments, when purchased, are acquired in accordance with the Company’s investment policy which establishes a concentration limit per issuer. At September 30, 2017 , the Company’s cash equivalents are invested solely in money market funds. The Company provides credit to customers in the normal course of business. The Company performs ongoing credit evaluations of its customers’ financial condition and limits the amount of credit extended when deemed necessary.
Recent accounting pronouncements	RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the FASB or other standard setting bodies that are adopted as of the specified effective date. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments . The new standard clarifies certain aspects of the statement of cash flows, including the classification of debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments or other debt instruments with coupon interest rates that are insignificant in relation to the effective interest rate of the borrowing, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity method investees and beneficial interests in securitization transactions. The new standard also clarifies that an entity should determine each separately identifiable source or use within the cash receipts and cash payments on the basis of the nature of the underlying cash flows. In situations in which cash receipts and payments have aspects of more than one class of cash flows and cannot be separated by source or use, the appropriate classification should depend on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flows for the item. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . The new standard changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments. Under the new standard, entities holding financial assets and net investment in leases that are not accounted for at fair value through net income are to be presented at the net amount expected to be collected. An allowance for credit losses will be a valuation account that will be deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset to present the net carrying value at the amount expected to be collected on the financial asset. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2020. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard requires that all lessees recognize the assets and liabilities that arise from leases on the balance sheet and disclose qualitative and quantitative information about their leasing arrangements. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities . The new standard amends certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements of financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair values be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in the Company's results of operations. The new standard does not apply to investments accounted for under the equity method of accounting or those that result in consolidation of the investee. Equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values may be measured at fair value or at cost minus impairment adjusted for changes in observable prices. A financial liability that is measured at fair value in accordance with the fair value option is required to be presented separately in other comprehensive income for the portion of the total change in the fair value resulting from change in the instrument-specific credit risk. In addition, a valuation allowance should be evaluated on deferred tax assets related to available-for-sale debt securities in combination with other deferred tax assets. The new standard will be effective for the Company on January 1, 2018. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact of this new guidance. In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). The ASU is the result of a joint project by the FASB and the International Accounting Standards Board ("IASB") to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue and to develop a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS") that would: remove inconsistencies and weaknesses, provide a more robust framework for addressing revenue issues, improve comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, jurisdictions, industries, and capital markets, improve disclosure requirements and resulting financial statements, and simplify the presentation of financial statements. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB voted to delay the effective date of the new revenue standard by one year, but to permit entities to choose to adopt the standard as of the original date. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the effects the new revenue standard will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. The Company intends to complete the process during 2017 and adopt the standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective adoption transition method. The adoption of this standard is not expected to have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME 21

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of number of shares of potentially dilutive common stock related to options and warrants that were excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares	The number of shares of potentially dilutive common stock presented on a weighted average basis, related to options, restricted stock units and warrants (prior to consideration of the treasury stock method) that were excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares since the inclusion of such shares would be anti-dilutive for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively, are shown below. Issued and outstanding warrants shown in the table below are described in greater detail in Note 11, contained herein. Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017 2016 2017 2016 Options 626,263 92,600 621,030 93,159 Restricted stock units 14,367 58,824 16,770 82,766 Warrants 920,655 393,300 571,017 393,300 Total 1,561,285 544,724 1,208,817 569,225

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Tables)

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Schedule of accrued expenses	Accrued expenses consisted of the following at: September 30, December 31, Employee compensation and benefits $ 203 $ 713 Contract termination obligation 727 939 Professional services 315 459 Other 693 591 Total accrued expenses $ 1,938 $ 2,702

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Table

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Summary of option activity	A summary of option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is as follows: Number of Shares Weighted Average Exercise Price Outstanding at December 31, 2016 605,077 $ 34.49 Granted 47,150 3.94 Exercised — — Forfeited (2,534 ) 5.55 Expired (23,508 ) 417.30 Outstanding at September 30, 2017 626,185 $ 17.93 Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2017 626,185 $ 17.93 Options exercisable at September 30, 2017 246,545 $ 37.40
Schedule of restricted stock units activity	A summary of RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 is as follows: Number of RSUs Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years) Outstanding at December 31, 2016 21,735 Awarded 25,337 Common stock issued upon vesting (32,542 ) Forfeited (163 ) Outstanding at September 30, 2017 14,367 1.00 Weighted average remaining recognition period 1.50

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of future minimum rental payments for operating leases	Annual base rental payments remaining due under the Company's leases, net of sublease payments expected from CJ, are as follows: Year ended December 31, Minimum lease payments 2017 (October to December) $ 226 2018 877 2019 855 2020 734 2021 654 2022 and thereafter 3,508 Total $ 6,854

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Tables)

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of the geographic distribution of revenues and long-lived assets from continuing operations		The geographic distribution of the Company’s operating revenues from continuing operations and long-lived assets are summarized in the tables below: U.S. Canada Eliminations Total Three Months Ended September 30, 2017: Net revenues from external customers $ 223 $ — $ — $ 223 Inter-geographic revenues — 324 (324 ) — Net revenues $ 223 $ 324 $ (324 ) $ 223 Three Months Ended September 30, 2016: Net revenues from external customers $ 473 $ — $ — $ 473 Inter-geographic revenues — 247 (247 ) — Net revenues $ 473 $ 247 $ (247 ) $ 473 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017: Net revenues from external customers $ 840 $ — $ — $ 840 Inter-geographic revenues — 857 (857 ) — Net revenues $ 840 $ 857 $ (857 ) $ 840 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016: Net revenues from external customers $ 818 $ — $ — $ 818 Inter-geographic revenues — 674 (674 ) — Net revenues $ 818 $ 674 $ (674 ) $ 818
Schedule of the geographic distribution of long-lived assets	The geographic distribution of the Company’s long-lived assets is summarized as follows: U.S. Canada Eliminations Total September 30, 2017 $ 1,581 $ 6 $ — $ 1,587 December 31, 2016 $ 1,739 $ — $ — $ 1,739

CAPITAL STOCK (Tables)

CAPITAL STOCK (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Schedule of stockholders' equity note, warrants or rights	The following table summarizes information with regard to outstanding warrants to purchase common stock as of September 30, 2017: Issuance Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants Exercise Price Expiration Date June 2015 Private Placement 393,300 $ 39.80 June 15, 2019 July 2017 Registered Direct Offering 570,784 $ 5.04 January 7, 2024 Consultant 30,000 $ 2.90 September 11, 2024 Total 994,084
Schedule of Stock by Class	The following common stock shares were reserved for future issuance upon exercise of stock options, release of RSUs and conversion of warrants: September 30, 2017 December 31, 2016 Stock Options 626,185 605,077 RSUs 14,367 21,735 Warrants 994,084 393,300 Total number of common shares reserved for future issuance 1,634,636 1,020,112

RESTRUCTURING (Tables)

RESTRUCTURING (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Schedule of accrued restructuring charges	In connection with the wind down of biopolymer operations, the Company also ceased pilot production of biopolymer materials and reached agreements with the owner-operators of its biopolymer production facilities regarding the termination of these services. Through September 30, 2017, the Company made cash payments of $2,528 , issued 27,500 shares of company common stock with a fair value of $85 and transferred certain biopolymer-related production equipment with a net book value of $111 to settle a portion of these agreements and other restructuring activities. At September 30, 2017, remaining cash restructuring costs are estimated to be $789 . Biopolymer Production Agreements Employee Severance and Related Costs Total Aggregate Charges and Amounts Accrued $ 2,641 $ 872 $ 3,513 Paid in Cash (1,717 ) (811 ) (2,528 ) Paid through Stock and Equipment (196 ) — (196 ) Ending Balance Accrued at September 30, 2017 $ 728 $ 61 $ 789

DISCONTINUED OPERATION (Tables)

DISCONTINUED OPERATION (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Schedule of discontinued operations income statement	The following are the operating items comprising income from discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2016 Total revenue $ 1,818 $ 4,940 Costs and expenses: Cost of product revenue 464 702 Research and development 3,793 9,438 Selling, general and administrative 510 1,429 Net gain on sale of biopolymer assets (9,833 ) (9,833 ) Total costs and expenses (5,066 ) 1,736 Other (income) or expense 31 — Income from discontinued operations 6,853 3,204 Income tax expense (1,259 ) (1,259 ) Total income from discontinued operations $ 5,594 $ 1,945 The following are the non-cash operating items related to discontinued operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016. Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2016 Non-cash operating items: Depreciation $ 111 $ 327 Charge for 401(k) company common stock match $ 5 $ 125 Stock-based compensation $ 16 $ 214 Inventory impairment $ 199 $ 199 Non-cash income tax expense $ 1,259 $ 1,259 Non-cash restructuring expense paid through stock and equipment $ 196 $ 196 Gain on sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment $ (9,833 ) $ (9,833 ) Investing items: Purchases of property and equipment $ 15 $ 193

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS 29

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Details)	Jul. 07, 2017USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)employee	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Jul. 31, 2016employee	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Oct. 31, 2015USD ($)
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Deferred revenue recognized from the terminated Telles joint venture				$ 38,885,000
Target number of employees remaining | employee			20			20
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 2,951,000	$ 7,309,000
Proceeds from issuance of common stock	$ 1,966,000
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 2,951,000	7,309,000		$ 9,782,000		$ 12,269,000
Period over which company's present capital resources are not sufficient to fund its planned operations		12 months
CJ CheilJedang Corporation
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Proceeds from divestiture of businesses			$ 0
Aspire | Private Placement
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other commitment								$ 20,000
Discontinued Operations
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Restructuring charges		$ 3,513,000
Restructuring reserve		$ 789,000

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details)

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2016
Concentration of credit risk
Forfeiture rate, percent					6.00%
Unrecognized tax benefits	$ 0		$ 0		$ 0
Income tax expense (benefit)	0	$ (1,042,000)	0	$ (1,042,000)
Income tax expense (benefit) discontinued operations	0	$ 1,259,000	$ 0	$ 1,259,000
Government Grants
Concentration of credit risk
Receivables/sales (as a percent)			94.00%
Unbilled receivables	$ 237,000		$ 237,000

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME 31

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Details) - shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares	1,561,285	544,724	1,208,817	569,225
Options
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares	626,263	92,600	621,030	93,159
Restricted stock units
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares	14,367	58,824	16,770	82,766
Warrants
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares	920,655	393,300	571,017	393,300

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Detail

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Fair Value, measurements, recurring | Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets | Money market funds
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	$ 1,023	$ 1,018

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Details)

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Employee compensation and benefits	$ 203	$ 713
Contract termination obligation	315	459
Professional services	727	939
Other	693	591
Total accrued expenses	$ 1,938	$ 2,702

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Detai

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Stock-based compensation
Stock-based compensation	$ 400	$ 254	$ 1,063	$ 1,155
Employee stock option
Stock-based compensation
Stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, related to unvested awards not yet recognized	$ 1,260		$ 1,260
Weighted average remaining recognition period			1 year 26 days
Options
Number of Shares
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)			605,077
Granted (in shares)			47,150
Exercised (in shares)			0
Forfeited (in shares)			(2,534)
Expired (in shares)			(23,508)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)	626,185		626,185
Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2017	626,185		626,185
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	246,545		246,545
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)			$ 34.49
Granted (in dollars per share)			3.94
Exercised (in dollars per share)			0
Forfeited (in dollars per share)			5.55
Expired (in dollars per share)			417.30
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 17.93		17.93
Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2016 (in dollars per share)	17.93		17.93
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 37.40		$ 37.40
Discontinued Operations
Stock-based compensation
Stock-based compensation		$ 16		$ 212

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION - REST

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION - RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT ACTIVITY TABLE (Details) - Restricted stock units - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Stock-based compensation
Payments related to tax withholding for share-based compensation	$ 12	$ 274
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Outstanding at December 31, 2014 (in shares)	21,735
Awarded (in shares)	25,337
Common stock issued upon vesting (in shares)	(32,542)
Forfeited (in shares)	(163)
Outstanding at June 30, 2015 (in shares)	14,367
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)	1 year
Weighted average remaining recognition period	1 year 6 months
Chief Executive Officer
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Common stock issued upon vesting (in shares)		0
Executive Employees
Stock-based compensation
Vesting period	4 years
Period after which award begins vesting	1 year

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) - CJ CheilJedang Corporation $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
2017 (October to December)	$ 226
2,018	877
2,019	855
2,020	734
2,021	654
2022 and thereafter	3,508
Total	$ 6,854

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES -

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)ft²	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)ft²	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)ft²	Oct. 31, 2016USD ($)ft²
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property | ft²				29,622
Security deposit				$ 307
Operating leases, landlord reimbursement for lease improvements			$ 889
Operating leases, landlord reimb for lease improvements, additional payments	$ 444
Loss on contract termination		$ 2,641
Contract termination fees payable	$ 728		$ 728
Subsidiaries
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property | ft²	4,100		4,100
Six Hundred Fifty Suffolk Street, Lowell, Massachusetts
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property | ft²	13,702		13,702
Operating leases, renewal term			5 years
CJ CheilJedang Corporation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property | ft²					9,874
Security deposit					$ 103
Future minimum payments due	$ 6,854		$ 6,854

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Schedu

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Schedule of distribution of revenues and long-lived assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Geographic Information
Revenue	$ 223	$ 473	$ 840	$ 818
U.S.
Geographic Information
Revenue	223	473	840	818
Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	324	247	857	674
Operating segments
Geographic Information
Revenue	223	473	840	818
Operating segments | U.S.
Geographic Information
Revenue	223	473	840	818
Operating segments | Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	0	0
Eliminations
Geographic Information
Revenue	(324)	(247)	(857)	(674)
Eliminations | Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	$ 324	$ 247	$ 857	$ 674

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Narrati

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	$ 223	$ 473	$ 840	$ 818
US Department of Energy | Sales
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	$ 223	$ 304	$ 810	$ 649
Concentration risk (as a percent)	100.00%	64.00%	96.00%	79.00%

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Sche40

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Schedule of geographic distribution (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	$ 1,587	$ 1,739
Reportable Geographical Components | U.S.
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	1,581	1,739
Reportable Geographical Components | Canada
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	6	$ 0
Eliminations
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	$ 0

RELATED PARTIES (Details)

RELATED PARTIES (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	May 31, 2016USD ($)production_strain	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)
Related party transactions
Revenue from related parties		$ 494	$ 2,272
Due from related party				$ 0	$ 1
Tepha Inc
Related party transactions
Number of prepaid additional production strains | production_strain	2
Tepha Inc | Affiliated entity
Related party transactions
Deferred revenue, additions	$ 2,000
Tepha Inc | License revenue | Affiliated entity
Related party transactions
Due from related party					$ 1

CAPITAL STOCK (Details)

CAPITAL STOCK (Details)	Jul. 07, 2017USD ($)$ / shares	May 26, 2017shares	Sep. 30, 2016shares	Mar. 31, 2017shares	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Sep. 12, 2017shares	Dec. 31, 2016USD ($)shares	Oct. 31, 2015USD ($)
Number of securities called by warrants					994,084
Proceeds from issuance of common stock | $	$ 1,966,000
Payments of stock issuance costs | $	$ 317,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)					28,402,471		28,342,625
Share price (in shares) | $ / shares	$ 4
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares) | $ / shares	$ 5.04
Stock split conversion ratio		10
Share converted in stock split (in shares)		28,700,000
Stock issued during stock split (in shares)		2,900,000
Common stock shares authorized					250,000,000		250,000,000
shares issued during period (in shares)			27,500	27,500
Deferred equity financing costs | $					$ 0		$ 622,000
Aspire | Private Placement
Other commitment | $								$ 20,000
Consultant
Number of securities called by warrants					30,000	30,000
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 2.90
Affiliated entity
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 2.90

CAPITAL STOCK - Information on

CAPITAL STOCK - Information on outstanding warrants (Details) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 12, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants	994,084
June 2015 Private Placement
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants				393,300
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)				$ 39.80
July 2017 Registered Direct Offering
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants			570,784
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)			$ 5.04
Consultant
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants	30,000	30,000
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)	$ 2.90

CAPITAL STOCK - Schedule of com

CAPITAL STOCK - Schedule of common stock reserved for future issuance (Details) - shares	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	1,634,636	1,020,112
Warrants (in shares)	994,084
Options
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	626,185	605,077
Stock Options (in shares)	626,185	605,077
Restricted stock units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	14,367	21,735
RSUs (in shares)	14,367	21,735
Warrants
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	994,084	393,300

CAPITAL STOCK - Preferred Stock

CAPITAL STOCK - Preferred Stock (Details) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]
Preferred stock, shares authorized	5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0

RESTRUCTURING - Narrative (Deta

RESTRUCTURING - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)shares	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2017shares	Sep. 30, 2017USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2016USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016employee	Jul. 31, 2016employee
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Target number of employees remaining | employee						20	20
shares issued during period (in shares) | shares	27,500		27,500
Transfer of equipment to settle contractual liability				$ 0	$ 111
Biopolymer Production Agreements
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for restructuring		$ 1,717
Contract Termination
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Stock issued during period, value, new issues				85
Transfer of equipment to settle contractual liability				111
Employee Severance and Related Costs
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for restructuring		811
Restructuring reserve, current	$ 872	61		61	$ 872
Discontinued Operations
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring reserve		$ 789		789
Restructuring charges				3,513
Discontinued Operations | Biopolymer Production Agreements
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for restructuring				$ 2,528

RESTRUCTURING (Details)

RESTRUCTURING (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Loss on contract termination		$ 2,641
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Contract termination fees payable	$ 728		$ 728
Paid through Stock and Equipment	(196)
Biopolymer Production Agreements
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Employee Severance and Related Costs	(1,717)
Paid through Stock and Equipment	(196)
Employee Severance and Related Costs
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Employee Severance and Related Costs	(811)
Paid through Stock and Equipment	0
Total	$ 61	$ 872	61
Discontinued Operations | Biopolymer Production Agreements
Restructuring Reserve [Roll Forward]
Employee Severance and Related Costs			$ (2,528)

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Narra

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 16, 2016USD ($)
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Gain (loss) on disposal	$ (9,868)
CJ CheilJedang Corporation
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Purchase price	10,000
Other Parties
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Purchase price	0
Gain (loss) on disposal	$ 35

DISCONTINUED OPERATION (Details

DISCONTINUED OPERATION (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Income tax expense	$ 0	$ (1,259)	$ 0	$ (1,259)
Total loss from discontinued operations	$ 0	5,594	$ 0	1,945
Metabolix GmbH
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Total revenue		1,818		4,940
Cost of product revenue		464		702
Research and development		3,793		9,438
Selling, general and administrative		510		1,429
Net gain on sale of biopolymer assets		(9,833)		(9,833)
Total costs and expenses		(5,066)		1,736
Other (income) or expense		31		0
Income from discontinued operations		6,853		3,204
Income tax expense		(1,259)		(1,259)
Total loss from discontinued operations		$ 5,594		$ 1,945

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS -Non-ca

DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS -Non-cash operating items (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016
Non-cash operating items:
Depreciation			$ 158	$ 458
Charge for 401(k) company common stock match			68	259
Stock-based compensation	$ 400	$ 254	1,063	1,155
Inventory impairment			0	199
Non-cash income tax expense			0	217
Non-cash restructuring expense paid through stock and equipment			0	196
Gain on sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment			0	9,833
Investing items:
Purchase of property and equipment			6	721
Metabolix GmbH
Non-cash operating items:
Depreciation		111		327
Charge for 401(k) company common stock match		5		125
Stock-based compensation		16		214
Inventory impairment			199	199
Non-cash income tax expense			1,259	1,259
Non-cash restructuring expense paid through stock and equipment	$ 196			196
Gain on sale of discontinued operation and property and equipment			$ 9,833	9,833
Investing items:
Purchase of property and equipment		$ 15		$ 193