Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution | Full Documentary | Independent Lens - October 6, 2025 -

A groundbreaking look at Phil Sharp’s rise from being a rural Kentucky farm boy who battled dyslexia to Nobel Prize-winning scientist. Narrated by Mark Ruffalo with insights from Walter Isaacson, Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution reveals how Sharp’s RNA discovery transformed biology and launched the biotechnology revolution leading to life-saving treatments for millions.
Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution | Independent Lens
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#rna #biology #science #genetics
Chapters
00:00 – Intro
00:32 – The Dawn of the Biotechnology Revolution
03:18 – From Rural Kentucky: Phil Sharp’s Early Life
08:39 – Overcoming Dyslexia: A Hidden Strength
14:42 – College Bound: Education and Love
19:42 – Graduate School and the DNA Discovery Path
24:02 – Unlocking the Secrets of Cancer Cells
26:45 – The Minds That Changed Science
29:58 – Breaking Ground in Genetic Science
33:07 – Skepticism Meets Innovation and Investment
38:57 – Gene Research Takes Off
42:47 – Phil Cracks the Code!
46:52 – Launching a Biotech Venture
51:19 – Risk Behind Genentech’s IPO
53:35 – A Medical Milestone: Insulin from Gene Splicing
55:32 – The Boom and Bust of Drug Development
59:56 – Nobel-Winning Anti-Cancer Breakthrough
1:05:01 – The Challenges and Future of RNA
1:11:40 – Moderna’s Record-Breaking IPO
1:15:14 – A Global Crisis: COVID-19 and the Vaccine Race
1:21:36 – The Legacy of Phil Sharp
1:23:20 – Credits
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@independentlens is an Emmy® Award-winning PBS documentary series. With founding executive producer Lois Vossen, the series has been honored with 10 Academy Award nominations and features documentaries united by the creative freedom, artistic achievement, and unflinching visions of independent filmmakers. Presented by ITVS, INDEPENDENT LENS is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Acton Family Giving, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Ford Foundation, Park Foundation, Wyncote Foundation, and National Endowment for the Arts.