Maura McCarthy Haney

Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution

Cracking the Code, narrated by Mark Ruffalo, tells the story of Dr. Phillip A. Sharp, a Kentucky farm boy turned Nobel-prize winning scientist, and his central role in the birth and proliferation of the biotechnology industry. His 1977 discovery of RNA splicing set the stage for a revolution in molecular biology, enabling research into a new class of medicines predicated on recombinant DNA techniques. Phil's contributions kickstarted an industry that has exploded into one of the most pivotal and innovative sectors in the American economy and set the foundation for biotechnology’s greatest triumphs, ranging from the development of synthetic insulin and human growth hormone to the COVID-19 vaccine.