Movie Night Features Documentary On Biotech Pioneer Phil Sharp

“Cracking the Code,” a documentary narrated by Mark Ruffalo, is an inspiring story of vision, perseverance, and the power of science to change the world. Phil Sharp’s journey from a Kentucky farm boy to Nobel laureate embodies the American dream and the triumph of entrepreneurial spirit.

Sharp’s 1977 groundbreaking discovery of RNA splicing rewrote the rules of molecular biology and ignited a life-saving scientific revolution, laying the foundation for an industry that has become a cornerstone of global innovation and economic growth – and transformed the health of billions of patients worldwide.

Please join us for a special movie night at the institute on Friday, Nov. 14 at 5 p.m., when we will screen the newly released documentary chronicling the life and career of Nobel laureate Phil Sharp, covering his groundbreaking RNA biology discovery that redefined how we understand genes and genetic disorders, with discussion led by Matthew Disney, Ph.D., chemistry department chair and director of the RNA center at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology.

“Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution” tracks Sharp’s journey from his early days in a shack with no indoor water or electricity on a Kentucky tobacco farm to winning the Nobel Prize for his discovery of RNA splicing, kick-starting the global biotechnology revolution.

Narrated by Mark Ruffalo and weaving interviews with Nobel Laureates into insights from journalist and biographer Walter Isaacson, “Cracking the Code” showcases the ability of a creative thinker with an entrepreneurial passion to transform science globally. Born into a family that went bankrupt during the Depression, to parents who never attended high school, and challenged with severe dyslexia, Sharp’s determination fueled his path to Caltech and MIT. There, his discovery of how DNA makes RNA would overturn decades of dogma in biology, shed new light on how genes work, and reveal novel insights into the root causes of disease. Sharp and his colleagues then transformed these insights into life-saving therapies, founding companies that created new treatments for diabetes, multiple sclerosis, leukemia, and countless other diseases, ultimately transforming the world for patients. In 2024, an estimated 7.4 billion people