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DOCUMENT AND ENTITY INFORMATION - shares	9 Months Ended
DOCUMENT AND ENTITY INFORMATION - shares	Sep. 30, 2018	Nov. 06, 2018
Document and Entity Information
Entity Registrant Name	YIELD10 BIOSCIENCE, INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001121702
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	true
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2018
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2018
Document Fiscal Period Focus (i.e. Q1,Q2,Q3,FY)	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		10,025,811

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,306	$ 14,487
Short-term investments	4,491	0
Accounts receivable	54	54
Unbilled receivables	29	65
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	384	311
Total current assets	8,264	14,917
Restricted cash	332	317
Property and equipment, net	1,435	1,539
Other assets	106	109
Total assets	10,137	16,882
Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable	39	76
Accrued expenses	1,770	2,299
Total current liabilities	1,809	2,375
Lease liabilities, net of current portion	1,000	1,005
Total liabilities	2,809	3,380
Commitments and contingencies (Note 8)
Stockholders’ Equity:
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock ($0.01 par value per share); 5,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017; 0 and 1,826 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively	0	818
Common stock ($0.01 par value per share); 60,000,000 shares and 40,000,000 shares authorized at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively; 10,011,395 and 9,089,159 shares issued and outstanding at September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively	100	91
Additional paid-in capital	357,396	355,431
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	(105)	(85)
Accumulated deficit	(350,063)	(342,753)
Total stockholders’ equity	7,328	13,502
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 10,137	$ 16,882

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
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	1,826
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	1,826
Common stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock shares authorized	60,000,000	40,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	10,011,395	9,089,159
Common stock, shares outstanding	10,011,395	9,089,159

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Revenue	$ 76	$ 223	$ 421	$ 840
Expenses:
Research and development	1,330	1,132	3,677	3,379
General and administrative	1,407	1,073	4,132	4,215
Total expenses	2,737	2,205	7,809	7,594
Loss from operations	(2,661)	(1,982)	(7,388)	(6,754)
Interest income, net	43	2	123	5
Other expense, net	(12)	(45)	(45)	(95)
Total other income (expense), net	31	(43)	78	(90)
Net loss	$ (2,630)	$ (2,025)	$ (7,310)	$ (6,844)
Basic and diluted net loss per share (in USD per share)	$ (0.26)	$ (0.59)	$ (0.74)	$ (2.25)
Number of shares used in per share calculations:
Basic & Diluted (in shares)	10,010,762	3,410,847	9,901,459	3,035,352
Grant
Revenue	$ 76	$ 223	$ 421	$ 840

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net loss:	$ (2,630)	$ (2,025)	$ (7,310)	$ (6,844)
Other comprehensive loss
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on investments	(1)	0	(1)	0
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment	(5)	3	(19)	3
Total other comprehensive income (loss)	(6)	3	(20)	3
Comprehensive loss	$ (2,636)	$ (2,022)	$ (7,330)	$ (6,841)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS UNAUDITED - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Cash flows from operating activities
Net loss	$ (7,310)	$ (6,844)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation	146	158
Charge for 401(k) company common stock match	91	68
Stock-based compensation	952	1,063
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivables	29	(69)
Due from related party	0	1
Unbilled receivables	36	19
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(70)	715
Accounts payable	(37)	(8)
Accrued expenses	(563)	(828)
Lease liabilities and other long-term liabilities	(5)	(584)
Net cash used for operating activities	(6,731)	(6,309)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of property and equipment	(42)	(6)
Purchase of short-term investments	(9,742)	0
Proceeds from the sale and maturity of short-term investments	5,250	0
Net cash used for investing activities	(4,534)	(6)
Cash flows from financing activities
Proceeds from warrants exercised	124	0
Taxes paid related to net share settlement upon vesting of stock awards	(6)	(12)
Proceeds from registered direct offering	0	1,966
Net cash provided by financing activities	118	1,954
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(19)	3
Net decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(11,166)	(4,358)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period	14,804	7,741
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period	3,638	3,383
Supplemental disclosure of non-cash information:
Reversal of deferred financing costs related to Aspire stock purchase agreement	$ 0	$ 450

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	9 Months Ended
NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION	Sep. 30, 2018
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") 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. The Company considers 10-20 percent increases in crop yield to be step-change increases. According to a United Nations report, food production must be increased by over 70 percent in the next 35 years to feed the growing global population, which is expected to increase from 7 billion to more than 9.6 billion by 2050. During that time period, there will be a reduction in available arable land as a result of infrastructure growth and increased pressure on scarce water resources. Harvestable food production per acre and per growing season must be increased to meet this demand. At the same time, in light of the increasing focus on health and wellness, food safety and sustainability in developed countries, the Company anticipates a rise in demand for new varieties of food and food ingredients with improved nutritional properties. Further, concerns about food safety have led to the concept of “seed to plate,” or "farm to fork," with a focus on stringent quality control along the entire value chain. If this concept takes hold with consumers, it is likely to require identity preservation from seed to harvest and involve contract farming. This concept has been initially implemented in agricultural biotechnology, in products such as high oleic canola and soybean. Consumer demand for identity preserved specialty ingredients is also expected to rise, and the Company believes that Yield10's crop yield technologies and crop genome-editing platform could be useful in this emerging field. The Company is currently progressing the development of its lead yield trait genes in canola, soybean, rice and wheat to provide step-change yield solutions for enhancing global food security. Yield10 Bioscience is headquartered in Woburn, Massachusetts and has an additional agricultural science facility with greenhouses 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, 2018 and September 30, 2017. 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, 2017, which are contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 12, 2018. As of September 30, 2018, the Company held unrestricted cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments of $7,797. The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern, 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. Based on its current cash forecast, management expects that the Company's present capital resources will be sufficient to fund its planned operations and meet its obligations into the third quarter of 2019. 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 ASC Topic 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, warrant holders' ability and willingness to exercise the Company's outstanding warrants, additional government grant or collaborative arrangements with third parties, as to which no assurance 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 into collaborative arrangements for further research, management will 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 its cash forecast, management has determined that the Company's present capital resources are unlikely to be 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. If the Company issues equity or debt securities to raise additional funds, (i) the Company may incur fees associated with such issuance, (ii) its existing stockholders may experience dilution from the issuance of new equity securities, (iii) the Company may incur ongoing interest expense and be required to grant a security interest in Company assets in connection with any debt issuance, and (iv) the new equity or debt securities may have rights, preferences and privileges senior to those of the Company’s existing stockholders. In addition, utilization of the Company’s net operating loss and research and development credit carryforwards may be subject to significant annual limitations under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 due to ownership changes resulting from equity financing transactions. If the Company raises additional funds through collaboration, licensing or other similar arrangements, it may be necessary to relinquish valuable rights to its potential products or proprietary technologies, or grant licenses on terms that are not favorable to the Company.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

ACCOUNTING POLICIES

From time to time, new accounting pronouncements are issued by the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") or other standard setting bodies that the Company adopts as of the specified effective date. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company adopted the following new accounting 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 in the treatment of this area between GAAP and IFRS, 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 new 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 Company adopted the new standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective method and determined that its grant revenue, which is its sole source of revenue, does not fall within the guidance of the new standard. The Company will review future customer revenue agreements against the guidance provided by ASU No. 2014-09 to ensure that revenue is recorded appropriately.

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. This new standard amended certain aspects of accounting and disclosure requirements for financial instruments, including the requirement that equity investments with readily determinable fair values are to be measured at fair value with any changes in fair value recognized in a company's statements of operations. Prior to adoption of ASU 2016-01, companies recognized changes in fair value in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net. 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. 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 Company adopted this new standard on January 1, 2018, using the modified retrospective method, and determined that it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

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 Company adopted this new standard on January 1, 2018 and determined that it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In October 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-16, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Intra-Entity Transfer of Assets Other Than Inventory. This new standard eliminates the deferral of the tax effects of intra-entity asset transfers other than inventory. As a result, the income tax consequences from the intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory and associated changes to deferred taxes will be recognized when the transfer occurs. The Company adopted this new standard on January 1, 2018 and determined that it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Restricted Cash ("ASU 2016-18"). The new standard provides uniform guidance for the classification and presentation of changes in restricted cash on the statement of cash flows under Topic 230, Statement of Cash Flows. ASU 2016-18 requires that a statement of cash flows explain the change during the period in the total of cash, cash equivalents, and amounts generally described as restricted cash. Therefore, amounts included in restricted cash should be included with cash and cash equivalents when reconciling the beginning-of-period and end-of-period total amounts shown on the statement of cash flows. ASU 2016-18 was effective for the Company for its fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018, including interim periods, and requires a retrospective presentation of each period presented. As a result, the Company's condensed consolidated statement of cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017 have been prepared in accordance with the new requirements of ASU 2016-18.

In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-07, Stock-based Compensation: Improvements to Nonemployee Share-based Payment Accounting, which amends the existing accounting standards for share-based payments to nonemployees. ASU 2018-07 aligns much of the guidance on measuring and classifying nonemployee awards with that of awards to employees. Under the new guidance, the measurement of nonemployee equity awards is fixed on the grant date. Entities are required to apply ASU 2018-07 by recognizing a cumulative effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the annual period of adoption. The ASU becomes effective during the first quarter of 2019 with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2018-07 on July 1, 2018 and determined that it did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.

Other than the new standards described above, there have been no material changes in accounting policies since the Company’s fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, as described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year then ended.

New pronouncements that are not yet effective but may impact the Company's financial statements in the future are described below.

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 its leasing arrangements. The new standard will be adopted using a modified retrospective approach to each lease that existed as of the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, as well as for leases entered into after that date. Employing the modified retrospective approach will result in a cumulative adjustment to the Company's opening retained earnings on January 1, 2019, which is the effective date for adoption of the new standard by the Company. The Company's balance sheet after adoption of the standard will reflect right-of-use assets and lease liabilities for those leases that are accounted for under the new guidance. 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.

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.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash

The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity date of ninety days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets included herein:



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,306	$	14,487
Restricted cash	332		317
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	3,638	$	14,804

Amounts included in restricted cash represent those required to be set aside by contractual agreement. Restricted cash of $332 at September 30, 2018 and $317 at December 31, 2017 primarily consists of funds held in connection with the Company's lease agreement for its Woburn, Massachusetts facility.

Investments

The Company considers all investments purchased with an original maturity date of more than ninety days at the date of purchase and a maturity date of one year or less at the balance sheet date to be short-term investments. All other investments are classified as long-term. The Company held no long-term investments at September 30, 2018 and no short or long-term investments at December 31, 2017.

Other-than-temporary impairments of equity investments are recognized in the Company's statements of operations if the Company has experienced a credit loss and has the intent to sell the investment or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investment before recovery of the amortized cost basis. Realized gains and losses, dividends, interest income and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary credit losses are included in other income (expense). Any premium or discount arising at purchase is amortized and/or accreted to interest income.

Restructuring

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 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 grant revenue 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

The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements or in the Company's tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax asset to a level which, more likely than not, will be realized.

In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act ("TCJA"), was signed into law. Among other things, the Tax Act permanently lowers the corporate federal income tax rate to 21% effective for tax years including or commencing January 1, 2018. As a result of the reduction of the corporate federal income tax rate, GAAP requires companies to revalue their deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as of the date of enactment, with the resulting tax effects accounted for in the reporting period of enactment. The Company's preliminary estimate of the TCJA and the remeasurement of its deferred tax assets and liabilities is subject to change as additional information becomes available, but no later than one year from the enactment of the TCJA.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash, cash equivalents and investments. 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, 2018, 95% of the Company's total accounts and unbilled receivables of $83 are due from the Company's government grant with the Department of Energy ("DOE") or from its DOE sub-award contract with Michigan State University ("MSU").

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Earnings Per Share [Abstract]

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 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, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively, are shown below. Issued and outstanding warrants shown in the table below are described in greater detail in Note 10, contained herein.



	Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2018	2017	2018	2017
Options	1,661,853	626,263	1,163,493	621,030
Restricted stock units	7,101	14,367	9,461	16,770
Warrants	7,433,084	920,655	7,433,084	571,017
Total	9,102,038	1,561,285	8,606,038	1,208,817

INVESTMENTS (Notes)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

INVESTMENTS

The Company's investments consist of the following:



	Accumulated Cost at September 30, 2018		Unrealized					Market Value at September 30, 2018
	Accumulated Cost at September 30, 2018		Gain		(Loss)			Market Value at September 30, 2018
Short-term investments
Government securities	$	4,492	$	—	$	(1	)	$	4,491
Total	$	4,492	$	—	$	(1	)	$	4,491

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

The Company has certain financial assets recorded at fair value which have been classified as either Level 1 or 2 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. 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, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Company did not own any Level 3 financial assets.

The Company’s financial assets classified as Level 2 at September 30, 2018, were initially valued at the transaction price and subsequently valued utilizing third party pricing services. Because the Company’s investment portfolio may include securities that do not always trade on a daily basis, the pricing services use many observable market inputs to determine value including reportable trades, benchmark yields and benchmarking of like securities. The Company validates the prices provided by the third party pricing services by reviewing their pricing methods and obtaining market values from other pricing sources. After completing the validation procedures, the Company did not adjust or override any fair value measurements provided by these pricing services as of September 30, 2018.

The tables below present information about the Company’s assets that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 and indicate the fair value hierarchy of the valuation techniques utilized to determine such fair value.



	Fair value measurements at reporting date using
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets		Significant other observable inputs		Significant unobservable inputs		Balance as of
Description	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		September 30, 2018
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	2,623	$	—	$	—	$	2,623
Short-term investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	—		4,491		—		4,491
Total	$	2,623	$	4,491	$	—	$	7,114



	Fair value measurements at reporting date using
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets		Significant other observable inputs		Significant unobservable inputs		Balance as of
Description	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		December 31, 2017
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	11,025	$	—	$	—	$	11,025
Total	$	11,025	$	—	$	—	$	11,025

- Definition

The entire disclosure for the fair value of financial instruments (as defined), including financial assets and financial liabilities (collectively, as defined), and the measurements of those instruments as well as disclosures related to the fair value of non-financial assets and liabilities. Such disclosures about the financial instruments, assets, and liabilities would include: (1) the fair value of the required items together with their carrying amounts (as appropriate); (2) for items for which it is not practicable to estimate fair value, disclosure would include: (a) information pertinent to estimating fair value (including, carrying amount, effective interest rate, and maturity, and (b) the reasons why it is not practicable to estimate fair value; (3) significant concentrations of credit risk including: (a) information about the activity, region, or economic characteristics identifying a concentration, (b) the maximum amount of loss the entity is exposed to based on the gross fair value of the related item, (c) policy for requiring collateral or other security and information as to accessing such collateral or security, and (d) the nature and brief description of such collateral or security; (4) quantitative information about market risks and how such risks are managed; (5) for items measured on both a recurring and nonrecurring basis information regarding the inputs used to develop the fair value measurement; and (6) for items presented in the financial statement for which fair value measurement is elected: (a) information necessary to understand the reasons for the election, (b) discussion of the effect of fair value changes on earnings, (c) a description of [similar groups] items for which the election is made and the relation thereof to the balance sheet, the aggregate carrying value of items included in the balance sheet that are not eligible for the election; (7) all other required (as defined) and desired information.

+ References + Details

ACCRUED EXPENSES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

ACCRUED EXPENSES

Accrued expenses consisted of the following at:



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Employee compensation and benefits	$	492	$	646
Leased facilities	740		585
Commercial manufacturing	—		489
Professional services	248		335
Other	290		244
Total accrued expenses	$	1,770	$	2,299

Accrued commercial manufacturing expense at December 31, 2017, is related to the Company's terminated biopolymer manufacturing contract obligation. See Note 11.

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan

On May 23, 2018, the Company held its 2018 annual meeting of stockholders (the "Annual Meeting"), at which the stockholders approved the adoption of the Company's 2018 Stock Option and Incentive Plan ("2018 Stock Plan"). The 2018 Stock Plan reserves for issuance 1,300,000 shares of the Company's common stock for grants of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock grants and stock-based awards. Shares available under the 2018 Stock Plan will be increased on the first day of January 2019 and 2020 in an amount equal to 5% of the outstanding shares of common stock on the day prior to the increase in each respective year or such smaller number of shares of common stock as determined by the Board of Directors.

Expense Information for Stock Awards

The Company recognized stock-based compensation expense related to stock awards, including awards to non-employees and members of the Board of Directors of $356 and $952 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively. 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. At September 30, 2018, there was approximately $1,374 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 3.10 years.

Stock Options

A summary of option activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is as follows:



	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	702,033		$	16.21
Granted	1,006,929		$	1.64
Exercised	—		—
Forfeited	(2,041	)	$	6.17
Expired	(3,727	)	$	487.57
Outstanding at September 30, 2018	1,703,194		$	6.58

Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2018	1,703,194		$	6.58
Options exercisable at September 30, 2018	678,060		$	13.40

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 required income tax withholding associated with RSUs for its 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, 2018 and September 30, 2017, the Company paid $6 and $12, 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, 2018 is as follows:



	Number of RSUs		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	14,367
Awarded	—
Common stock issued upon vesting	(7,104	)
Forfeited	(162	)
Outstanding at September 30, 2018	7,101		0.50

Weighted average remaining recognition period	0.50

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Leases

The Company rents its facilities under operating leases, which expire at various dates through December 2026. Rent expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 was $486 and $998, respectively. Rent expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, was $252 and $700, respectively.

At September 30, 2018, the Company's future minimum payments required under operating leases are as follows:



Year ended December 31,	Minimum lease payments
2018 (October to December)	$	242
2019	970
2020	779
2021	654
2022	676
Thereafter	2,832
Total	$	6,153

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 which is included within restricted cash in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets included herein. 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 other liabilities, net of current portion, respectively, in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets contained herein.

In October 2016, the Company entered into a sublease agreement with a subsidiary of CJ CheilJedang Corporation ("CJ") with respect to CJ's 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 $6,153 shown above 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. During July 2018, the Company discontinued further use of the Lowell space, and as a result, the Company recorded a non-cash lease exit charge of $249 during the three months ended September 30, 2018 for this facility in accordance with ASC Topic 420-10, Exit or Disposal Obligations. The current and long-term portions of the associated lease liability for this exit charge are included within accrued expenses and other liabilities, net of current portion, in the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets included herein. The Company will continue to make monthly rental payments for the Lowell facility through its expiration in May 2020.

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 facilities expire between September 30, 2018 and May 31, 2020. Leases that were set to expire on September 30, 2018 are in the process of being amended to extend their termination dates.

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 its business, financial condition or results of operations.

Guarantees

As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, 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, 2018 and December 31, 2017.

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

The geographic distribution of the Company’s grant revenues and long-lived assets are summarized in the tables below:



	U.S.		Canada		Eliminations			Total
Three Months Ended September 30, 2018:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	76	$	—	$	—		$	76
Inter-geographic revenues	—		410		(410		)	—
Revenues	$	76	$	410	$	(410	)	$	76

Three Months Ended September 30, 2017:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	223	$	—	$	—		$	223
Inter-geographic revenues	—		324		(324		)	—
Revenues	$	223	$	324	$	(324	)	$	223

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	421	$	—	$	—		$	421
Inter-geographic revenues	—		1,050		(1,050		)	—
Revenues	$	421	$	1,050	$	(1,050	)	$	421

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	840	$	—	$	—		$	840
Inter-geographic revenues	—		857		(857		)	—
Revenues	$	840	$	857	$	(857	)	$	840

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, 2018, revenue earned from the Company's Camelina grant with the U.S. Department of Energy totaled $0 and $109, respectively, and represented 0% and 26% of total revenue. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, revenue earned from the Company’s Camelina grants totaled $223 and $810, respectively, and represented 100% and 96%, respectively, of total grant revenue. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, revenue earned from the Company's new sub-award with MSU totaled $76 and $312, respectively, and represented 100% and 74%, respectively, of total grant revenue.

The geographic distribution of the Company’s long-lived assets is summarized as follows:



	U.S.		Canada		Eliminations		Total
September 30, 2018	$	1,420	$	15	$	—	$	1,435
December 31, 2017	$	1,533	$	6	$	—	$	1,539

CAPITAL STOCK

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Stockholders' Equity Note [Abstract]

CAPITAL STOCK

Common Stock

On May 23, 2018, the Company held its Annual Meeting, at which stockholders approved an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to increase from 40,000,000 shares to 60,000,000 shares the aggregate number of shares of common stock that are authorized to be issued. As a result of this vote, on May 23, 2018, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware to increase the number of authorized shares. Also at the Annual Meeting, stockholders approved the adoption of the Company's 2018 Stock Plan. The 2018 Stock Plan reserves for issuance 1,300,000 shares of the Company's common stock for grants of incentive stock options, nonqualified stock options, stock grants and stock-based awards. Shares available under the 2018 Stock Plan will be increased on the first day of January 2019 and 2020 in an amount equal to 5% of the outstanding shares of common stock on the day prior to the increase in each respective year or such smaller number of shares of common stock as determined by the Board of Directors.

On December 27, 2017, the Company held a special meeting of its stockholders, at which the stockholders approved an amendment to the Certificate of Incorporation to decrease from 250,000,000 shares to 40,000,000 shares the aggregate number of shares of common stock that are authorized to be issued. As a result of this vote, the Company filed a Certificate of Amendment to its Certificate of Incorporation with the Secretary of State of the State of Delaware on December 27, 2017 to decrease the number of authorized shares.

During December 2017, the Company closed on a public offering of its securities, receiving cash proceeds of $13,097, net of issuance costs of $1,392 that were paid through January 31, 2018. The offering included 4,667,000 Class A Units, priced at a public offering price of $2.25 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of common stock, a Series A five-year warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.25 per share, and a Series B nine-month warrant to purchase 0.5 share of common stock at an exercise price of $2.25 per share, and 3,987 Class B Units, priced at a public offering price of $1,000 per unit, with each unit consisting of one share of preferred stock, having a conversion price of $2.25, Series A 5-year warrants to purchase 445 shares of common stock at an exercise price of $2.25 per share, and Series B nine-month warrants to purchase 223 shares of common stock with an exercise price of $2.25 per share. The Company determined that both the preferred stock and the warrants should be recorded within stockholders' equity.

Proceeds received from the offering were allocated to the various elements of the offering based on their relative fair values. The fair value of the common stock was its closing market price on December 21, 2017, the closing date of the offering. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock was valued on an as-if-converted basis based on the underlying common stock and the Series A and Series B warrants were valued using the Black-Scholes model with the following weighted-average input at the time of issuance:


•	an expected term of 5.0 years and 0.75 years for the Series A and Series B warrants, respectively,


•	risk free rates of 2.2% and 1.7% for the Series A and Series B warrants, respectively, based on the published rates of U.S. treasury bills with similar terms, and


•	volatility of 125% based on the Company’s historical volatility.

After allocation of the proceeds, the effective conversion price of the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock was determined to be beneficial and, as a result, the Company recorded a one-time non-cash deemed dividend of $1,427 equal to the intrinsic value of the beneficial conversion feature during its three months ended December 31, 2017. The Series A Convertible Preferred Stock did not have a stated redemption date, and as a consequence, accounting guidance required immediate recognition of the beneficial conversion feature rather than amortization of the benefit over time. As of March 19, 2018, preferred shareholders had converted all 3,987 of the preferred shares into an aggregate of 1,772,000 shares of 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. The Company reviewed the accounting guidance for warrants and determined that these warrants should be recorded as equity within additional paid-in capital.

On July 7, 2017, the Company completed an offering of its securities. Proceeds from the transaction were approximately $1,966, net of 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 January 7, 2018 and until their expiration on January 7, 2024. In accordance with accounting guidance, these warrants were also recorded as equity within additional paid-in capital.

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.

Preferred Stock

The Company's Certificate of Incorporation authorizes it to issue up to 5,000,000 shares of $0.01 par value preferred stock.

As discussed above, during December 2017 the Company closed on a public offering of its securities that included issuance of 3,987 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock. Each preferred share was convertible, at the holder's option, into 445 shares of common stock at a conversion price of $2.25 per share, subject to adjustments as a result of stock dividends and stock splits. The Company determined the Series A Convertible Preferred Stock should be classified as equity since it was not mandatorily redeemable, there were no unconditional obligations requiring the Company to settle in a variable number of common shares or settle through the transfer of assets and the monetary value of the preferred shares was fixed. As of March 19, 2018, all of the 3,987 preferred shares had been converted to an aggregate of 1,772,000 shares of common stock. When converted, the shares of converted Series A Convertible Preferred Stock were restored to the status of authorized but unissued shares of preferred stock, subject to reissuance by the Board of Directors.

Warrants

The following table summarizes information with regard to outstanding warrants to purchase common stock as of September 30, 2018:



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
December 2017 Public Offering - Series A	6,439,000	$	2.25	December 21, 2022
Consultant	30,000	$	2.90	September 11, 2024
Total	7,433,084

During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, a total of 55,100 Series B warrants from the December 2017 public offering were exercised resulting in the issuance of 55,100 shares of common stock and the Company's receipt of $124 in cash proceeds. On September 21, 2018, the remaining unexercised Series B warrants expired in accordance with their terms.

Reserved Shares

The following shares of common stock were reserved for future issuance upon exercise of stock options, release of RSUs, conversion of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and conversion of warrants:



	September 30, 2018	December 31, 2017
Stock Options	1,703,194	702,033
RSUs	7,101	14,367
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock	—	811,555
Warrants	7,433,084	10,652,586
Total number of common shares reserved for future issuance	9,143,379	12,180,541

RESTRUCTURING	9 Months Ended
RESTRUCTURING	Sep. 30, 2018
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
RESTRUCTURING	RESTRUCTURING During 2016, the Company initiated 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 significantly reduced staffing levels and in January 2017, the Company formally changed its name to Yield10 Bioscience, Inc. In connection with the wind down of its biopolymer operations, the Company ceased pilot production of biopolymer materials and reached agreements with the owner-operators of its biopolymer production facilities regarding the termination of their services. Through May 2018, the Company made cash payments of $3,317, issued 27,500 shares of common stock with a fair value of $85 and transferred certain biopolymer-related production equipment with a net book value of $111 to settle these agreements and other restructuring activities. At September 30, 2018, the Company has no further restructuring obligations outstanding.

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	9 Months Ended
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Policies)	Sep. 30, 2018
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.
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash The Company considers all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity date of ninety days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents.
Investments	Investments The Company considers all investments purchased with an original maturity date of more than ninety days at the date of purchase and a maturity date of one year or less at the balance sheet date to be short-term investments. All other investments are classified as long-term. The Company held no long-term investments at September 30, 2018 and no short or long-term investments at December 31, 2017. Other-than-temporary impairments of equity investments are recognized in the Company's statements of operations if the Company has experienced a credit loss and has the intent to sell the investment or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell the investment before recovery of the amortized cost basis. Realized gains and losses, dividends, interest income and declines in value judged to be other-than-temporary credit losses are included in other income (expense). Any premium or discount arising at purchase is amortized and/or accreted to interest income.
Restructuring	Restructuring 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 E
Use of estimates	Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with 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 grant revenue 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 The Company accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the consolidated financial statements or in the Company's tax returns. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. A valuation allowance is provided to reduce the deferred tax asset to a level which, more likely than not, will be realized. In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, or the Tax Act ("TCJA"), was signed into law. Among other things, the Tax Act permanently lowers the corporate federal income tax rate to 21% effective for tax years including or commencing January 1, 2018. As a result of the reduction of the corporate federal income tax rate, GAAP requires companies to revalue their deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities as of the date of enactment, with the resulting tax effects accounted for in the reporting period of enactment. The Company's preliminary estimate of the TCJA and the remeasurement of its deferred tax assets and liabilities is subject to change as additional information becomes available, but no later than one year from the enactment of the TCJA.
Concentration of credit risk	Concentration of Credit Risk Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk primarily consist of cash, cash equivalents and investments. 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.

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for income taxes, which may include its accounting policies for recognizing and measuring deferred tax assets and liabilities and related valuation allowances, recognizing investment tax credits, operating loss carryforwards, tax credit carryforwards, and other carryforwards, methodologies for determining its effective income tax rate and the characterization of interest and penalties in the financial statements.

+ References + Details

- Definition

Disclosure of accounting policy for investments in financial assets, including marketable securities (debt and equity securities with readily determinable fair values), investments accounted for under the equity method and cost method, securities borrowed and loaned, and repurchase and resale agreements. For marketable securities, the disclosure may include the entity's accounting treatment for transfers between investment categories and how the fair values for such securities are determined. Also, for all investments, an entity may describe its policy for assessing, recognizing and measuring impairment of the investment.

+ References + Details

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Schedule of Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets included herein:



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,306	$	14,487
Restricted cash	332		317
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	3,638	$	14,804

Schedule of Cash and Cash Equivalents

The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the Company's condensed consolidated balance sheets included herein:



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Cash and cash equivalents	$	3,306	$	14,487
Restricted cash	332		317
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	$	3,638	$	14,804

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

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



	Three Months Ended September 30,		Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2018	2017	2018	2017
Options	1,661,853	626,263	1,163,493	621,030
Restricted stock units	7,101	14,367	9,461	16,770
Warrants	7,433,084	920,655	7,433,084	571,017
Total	9,102,038	1,561,285	8,606,038	1,208,817

INVESTMENTS (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]

Schedule of investment holdings

nvestments consist of the following:



	Accumulated Cost at September 30, 2018		Unrealized					Market Value at September 30, 2018
	Accumulated Cost at September 30, 2018		Gain		(Loss)			Market Value at September 30, 2018
Short-term investments
Government securities	$	4,492	$	—	$	(1	)	$	4,491
Total	$	4,492	$	—	$	(1	)	$	4,491

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Table Text Block]



	Fair value measurements at reporting date using
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets		Significant other observable inputs		Significant unobservable inputs		Balance as of
Description	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		September 30, 2018
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	2,623	$	—	$	—	$	2,623
Short-term investments:
U.S. government and agency securities	—		4,491		—		4,491
Total	$	2,623	$	4,491	$	—	$	7,114



	Fair value measurements at reporting date using
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets		Significant other observable inputs		Significant unobservable inputs		Balance as of
Description	(Level 1)		(Level 2)		(Level 3)		December 31, 2017
Cash equivalents:
Money market funds	$	11,025	$	—	$	—	$	11,025
Total	$	11,025	$	—	$	—	$	11,025

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Payables and Accruals [Abstract]

Schedule of accrued expenses

Accrued expenses consisted of the following at:



	September 30, 2018		December 31, 2017
Employee compensation and benefits	$	492	$	646
Leased facilities	740		585
Commercial manufacturing	—		489
Professional services	248		335
Other	290		244
Total accrued expenses	$	1,770	$	2,299

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

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, 2018 is as follows:



	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	702,033		$	16.21
Granted	1,006,929		$	1.64
Exercised	—		—
Forfeited	(2,041	)	$	6.17
Expired	(3,727	)	$	487.57
Outstanding at September 30, 2018	1,703,194		$	6.58

Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2018	1,703,194		$	6.58
Options exercisable at September 30, 2018	678,060		$	13.40

Schedule of restricted stock units activity

A summary of RSU activity for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 is as follows:



	Number of RSUs		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)
Outstanding at December 31, 2017	14,367
Awarded	—
Common stock issued upon vesting	(7,104	)
Forfeited	(162	)
Outstanding at September 30, 2018	7,101		0.50

Weighted average remaining recognition period	0.50

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of future minimum rental payments for operating leases

At September 30, 2018, the Company's future minimum payments required under operating leases are as follows:



Year ended December 31,	Minimum lease payments
2018 (October to December)	$	242
2019	970
2020	779
2021	654
2022	676
Thereafter	2,832
Total	$	6,153

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Schedule of the geographic distribution of revenues and long-lived assets from continuing operations

The geographic distribution of the Company’s grant revenues and long-lived assets are summarized in the tables below:



	U.S.		Canada		Eliminations			Total
Three Months Ended September 30, 2018:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	76	$	—	$	—		$	76
Inter-geographic revenues	—		410		(410		)	—
Revenues	$	76	$	410	$	(410	)	$	76

Three Months Ended September 30, 2017:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	223	$	—	$	—		$	223
Inter-geographic revenues	—		324		(324		)	—
Revenues	$	223	$	324	$	(324	)	$	223

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2018:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	421	$	—	$	—		$	421
Inter-geographic revenues	—		1,050		(1,050		)	—
Revenues	$	421	$	1,050	$	(1,050	)	$	421

Nine Months Ended September 30, 2017:
Grant revenue from external customers	$	840	$	—	$	—		$	840
Inter-geographic revenues	—		857		(857		)	—
Revenues	$	840	$	857	$	(857	)	$	840

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, 2018	$	1,420	$	15	$	—	$	1,435
December 31, 2017	$	1,533	$	6	$	—	$	1,539

CAPITAL STOCK (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2018

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, 2018:



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
December 2017 Public Offering - Series A	6,439,000	$	2.25	December 21, 2022
Consultant	30,000	$	2.90	September 11, 2024
Total	7,433,084

Schedule of Stock by Class

The following shares of common stock were reserved for future issuance upon exercise of stock options, release of RSUs, conversion of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock and conversion of warrants:



	September 30, 2018	December 31, 2017
Stock Options	1,703,194	702,033
RSUs	7,101	14,367
Series A Convertible Preferred Stock	—	811,555
Warrants	7,433,084	10,652,586
Total number of common shares reserved for future issuance	9,143,379	12,180,541

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of an entity's stock, including par or stated value per share, number and dollar amount of share subscriptions, shares authorized, shares issued, shares outstanding, number and dollar amount of shares held in an employee trust, dividend per share, total dividends, share conversion features, par value plus additional paid in capital, the value of treasury stock and other information necessary to a fair presentation, and EPS information. Stock by class includes common, convertible, and preferred stocks which are not redeemable or redeemable solely at the option of the issuer. Includes preferred stock with redemption features that are solely within the control of the issuer and mandatorily redeemable stock if redemption is required to occur only upon liquidation or termination of the reporting entity. If more than one issue is outstanding, state the title of each issue and the corresponding dollar amount; dollar amount of any shares subscribed but unissued and the deduction of subscriptions receivable there from; number of shares authorized, issued, and outstanding.

+ References

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-Paragraph 1
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+ Details

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of warrants or rights issued. Warrants and rights outstanding are derivative securities that give the holder the right to purchase securities (usually equity) from the issuer at a specific price within a certain time frame. Warrants are often included in a new debt issue to entice investors by a higher return potential. The main difference between warrants and call options is that warrants are issued and guaranteed by the company, whereas options are exchange instruments and are not issued by the company. Also, the lifetime of a warrant is often measured in years, while the lifetime of a typical option is measured in months. Disclose the title of issue of securities called for by warrants and rights outstanding, the aggregate amount of securities called for by warrants and rights outstanding, the date from which the warrants or rights are exercisable, and the price at which the warrant or right is exercisable.

+ References + Details

NATURE OF BUSINESS AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments	$ 7,797

ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Concentration of credit risk
Restricted cash	$ 332	$ 317
Government Grants
Concentration of credit risk
Receivables/sales (as a percent)	95.00%
Unbilled receivables	$ 83

ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Schedule of Cash And Restricted Cash (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 3,306	$ 14,487
Restricted cash	332	317
Cash, Cash Equivalents, Restricted Cash and Restricted Cash Equivalents	$ 3,638	$ 14,804	$ 3,383	$ 7,741

BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Details)		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
BASIC AND DILUTED NET INCOME (LOSS) PER SHARE (Details)	May 26, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018 shares	Sep. 30, 2017 shares	Sep. 30, 2018 shares	Sep. 30, 2017 shares
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Stock split conversion ratio	10
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares		9,102,038	1,561,285	8,606,038	1,208,817
Options
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares		1,661,853	626,263	1,163,493	621,030
Restricted stock units
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares		7,101	14,367	9,461	16,770
Warrants
Antidilutive securities
Antidilutive common stock excluded from the calculation of dilutive shares		7,433,084	920,655	7,433,084	571,017

INVESTMENTS (Details) - USD ($)	9 Months Ended
INVESTMENTS (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Short-term Investments [Abstract]
Accumulated Cost	$ 4,492
Unrealized Gain	0
Unrealized (Loss)	(1)
Market Value	4,491
Long-term Investments	0	$ 0
Government securities
Short-term Investments [Abstract]
Accumulated Cost	4,492
Unrealized Gain	0
Unrealized (Loss)	(1)
Market Value	$ 4,491

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS (Details) - Fair Value, measurements, recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	$ 7,114
Money market funds
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	2,623
Short-term Investments: U.S. government and agency securities
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	4,491
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	2,623	$ 11,025
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets \| Money market funds
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	2,623	11,025
Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets \| Short-term Investments: U.S. government and agency securities
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	0
Significant other observable inputs
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	4,491	0
Significant other observable inputs \| Money market funds
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	0	0
Significant other observable inputs \| Short-term Investments: U.S. government and agency securities
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	4,491
Significant unobservable inputs
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	0	0
Significant unobservable inputs \| Money market funds
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	0	$ 0
Significant unobservable inputs \| Short-term Investments: U.S. government and agency securities
Fair value measurements
Assets, fair value disclosure	$ 0

ACCRUED EXPENSES (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Employee compensation and benefits	$ 492	$ 646
Leased facilities	740	585
Commercial manufacturing	0	489
Professional services	248	335
Other	290	244
Total accrued expenses	$ 1,770	$ 2,299

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	May 23, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Stock-based compensation
Percent of increase of authorized shares	5.00%
Stock-based compensation		$ 356	$ 400	$ 952	$ 1,063
Employee stock option
Stock-based compensation
Stock-based compensation expense, net of estimated forfeitures, related to unvested awards not yet recognized		$ 1,374		$ 1,374
Weighted average remaining recognition period				3 years 1 month 6 days
Options
Number of Shares
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares)				702,033
Granted (in shares)				1,006,929
Exercised (in shares)				0
Forfeited (in shares)				(2,041)
Expired (in shares)				(3,727)
Outstanding at the end of the period (in shares)		1,703,194		1,703,194
Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2018		1,703,194		1,703,194
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)		678,060		678,060
Weighted Average Exercise Price
Outstanding at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)				$ 16.21
Granted (in dollars per share)				1.64
Exercised (in dollars per share)				0.00
Forfeited (in dollars per share)				6.17
Expired (in dollars per share)				487.57
Outstanding at the end of the period (in dollars per share)		$ 6.58		6.58
Options vested and expected to vest at September 30, 2016 (in dollars per share)		6.58		6.58
Options exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)		$ 13.40		$ 13.40
2018 Stock Plan
Stock-based compensation
Shares authorized (in shares)	1,300,000

STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION - RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT ACTIVITY TABLE (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Stock-based compensation
Taxes paid related to net share settlement upon vesting of stock awards	$ 6	$ 12
Restricted stock units
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)	14,367
Awarded (in shares)	0
Common stock issued upon vesting (in shares)	(7,104)
Forfeited (in shares)	(162)
Outstanding at June 30, 2015 (in shares)	7,101
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Additional Disclosures [Abstract]
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life (years)	6 months
Weighted average remaining recognition period	6 months
Executive Employees \| Restricted stock units
Stock-based compensation
Vesting period	4 years
Period after which award begins vesting	1 year

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Details) - CJ CheilJedang Corporation $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
2018 (October to December)	$ 242
2019	970
2020	779
2021	654
2022	676
Thereafter	2,832
Total	$ 6,153

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES - Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) ft²	Oct. 31, 2016 USD ($) ft²	Jan. 20, 2016 ft²
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Rent expense	$ 486	$ 252	$ 998	$ 700
Area of real estate property \| ft²						29,622
Loss on lease termination	249
Security deposit						$ 307
Operating leases, landlord reimbursement for lease improvements					$ 889
Operating leases, landlord reimb for lease improvements, additional payments					$ 444
Subsidiaries
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property \| ft²								4,100
Six Hundred Fifty Suffolk Street, Lowell, Massachusetts
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property \| ft²								13,702
CJ CheilJedang Corporation
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Area of real estate property \| ft²							9,874
Security deposit							$ 103
Future minimum payments due	$ 6,153		$ 6,153

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Schedule of distribution of revenues and long-lived assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Geographic Information
Revenue	$ 76	$ 223	$ 421	$ 840
U.S.
Geographic Information
Revenue	76	223	421	840
Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	410	324	1,050	857
Operating segments
Geographic Information
Revenue	76	223	421	840
Operating segments \| U.S.
Geographic Information
Revenue	76	223	421	840
Operating segments \| Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	0	0	0	0
Eliminations
Geographic Information
Revenue	(410)	(324)	(1,050)	(857)
Eliminations \| Canada
Geographic Information
Revenue	$ 410	$ 324	$ 1,050	$ 857

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	$ 76	$ 223	$ 421	$ 840
US Department of Energy \| Sales
Concentration risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)	0.00%	100.00%	25.85105%	96.00%
MSU \| Sales
Concentration risk
Concentration risk (as a percent)	100.00%		74.14895%
Grant
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	$ 76	$ 223	$ 421	$ 840
Grant \| US Department of Energy \| Sales
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	0	$ 223	109	$ 810
Grant \| MSU \| Sales
Concentration risk
Revenue earned from the REFABB grant	$ 76		$ 312

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION - Schedule of geographic distribution (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	$ 1,435	$ 1,539
Reportable Geographical Components \| U.S.
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	1,420	1,533
Reportable Geographical Components \| Canada
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	15	6
Eliminations
Geographic Information
Long-lived assets	$ 0	$ 0

CAPITAL STOCK (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands					1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
CAPITAL STOCK (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	May 23, 2018 shares	Mar. 19, 2018 shares	Jul. 07, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	May 26, 2017 shares	May 31, 2018 shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Sep. 30, 2018 $ / shares shares	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Dec. 27, 2017 shares	Sep. 12, 2017 shares	Dec. 31, 2016 shares
Number of securities called by warrants							7,433,084
Proceeds from issuance of common stock \| $			$ 1,966					$ 13,097
Payments of stock issuance costs \| $			$ 317			$ 1,392
Share price (in shares) \| $ / shares			$ 4.00
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	60,000,000					40,000,000	60,000,000	40,000,000	40,000,000		250,000,000
Percent of increase of authorized shares	5.00%
shares issued during period (in shares)			570,784		27,500
Dividends, income statement impact \| $								$ 1,427
Series A Warrant
Expected term						5 years		5 years
Series B Warrant
shares issued during period (in shares)							55,100
Expected term						9 months		9 months
Shares converted (in shares)							55,100
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
Class A Units
Share price (in shares) \| $ / shares						$ 2.25		$ 2.25
shares issued during period (in shares)						4,667,000
Class A Units \| Series A Warrant
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares						$ 2.25		$ 2.25
Number of securities called by each warrant						1		1
Expiration term						5 years
Class A Units \| Series B Warrant
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share) \| $ / shares						$ 2.25		$ 2.25
Number of securities called by each warrant						0.5		0.5
Expiration term						9 months
Class B Units
Share price (in shares) \| $ / shares						$ 1,000		$ 1,000
shares issued during period (in shares)						3,987
Class B Units \| Series A Warrant
Number of securities called by warrants						445		445
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares) \| $ / shares						$ 2.25
Expiration term						5 years
Class B Units \| Series B Warrant
Number of securities called by warrants						223		223
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares) \| $ / shares						$ 2.25
Number of securities called by each warrant						1		1
Expiration term						9 months
Convertible Preferred Stock
Shares converted (in shares)		(3,987)
Common Stock
Stock issued upon conversion of securities (in shares)		1,772,000
2018 Stock Plan
Shares authorized (in shares)	1,300,000
Measurement Input, Risk Free Interest Rate \| Series A Warrant
Measurement input						0.022		0.022
Measurement Input, Risk Free Interest Rate \| Series B Warrant
Measurement input						0.017		0.017
Measurement Input, Price Volatility
Measurement input						1.25		1.25

CAPITAL STOCK - Preferred Stock (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands			1 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Mar. 19, 2018	Jul. 07, 2017	May 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized				5,000,000	5,000,000
Preferred stock, par value per share (in dollars per share)				$ 0.01	$ 0.01
shares issued during period (in shares)		570,784	27,500
Number of securities called by warrants					7,433,084
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares)		$ 5.04
Proceeds from warrants exercised					$ 124	$ 0
Class B Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
shares issued during period (in shares)				3,987
Convertible Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares converted (in shares)	(3,987)
Common Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock issued upon conversion of securities (in shares)	1,772,000
Series A Warrant \| Class B Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Number of securities called by warrants				445
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares)				$ 2.25
Series B Warrant
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Shares converted (in shares)					55,100
shares issued during period (in shares)					55,100
Proceeds from warrants exercised					$ 124
Series B Warrant \| Class B Units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Number of securities called by warrants				223
Investment warrants, exercise price (in shares)				$ 2.25

CAPITAL STOCK - Information on outstanding warrants (Details) - $ / shares	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 12, 2017	Jul. 31, 2017
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants	7,433,084
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
Class A Units
Class of Warrant or Right [Line Items]
Number of Shares Issuable Upon Exercise of Outstanding Warrants		6,439,000
Exercise price of warrants (in dollars per share)		$ 2.25
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 common stock reserved for future issuance (Details) - shares	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	9,143,379	12,180,541
Warrants (in shares)	7,433,084
Options
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	1,703,194	702,033
Restricted stock units
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	7,101	14,367
Convertible Preferred Stock
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	0	811,555
Warrants
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Common Stock, Capital Shares Reserved for Future Issuance	7,433,084	10,652,586

RESTRUCTURING - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Jul. 07, 2017	May 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
shares issued during period (in shares)	570,784	27,500
Contract Termination
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Stock issued during period, value, new issues		$ 85
Transfer of equipment to settle contractual liability			$ 111
Discontinued Operations \| Biopolymer Production Agreements
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Payments for restructuring		$ 3,317