Cracking the Code: How Phil Sharp Helped Build Biotech as We Know It

By: The Female Catalyst Founders

We recently watched Cracking the Code, a new documentary directed by Bill Haney, about Nobel Prize-winning scientist Phil Sharp—and honestly, it was one of the most inspiring science films We’ve seen in a while. If you're into biotech, RNA, or just love a good underdog story, this film delivers on all fronts.

Phil Sharp isn’t a household name, but he should be. He ended up discovering RNA splicing, a breakthrough that completely changed how we understand genes. His 1977 discovery revealed that genes aren't just continuous strands of DNA but contain non-coding regions (introns) that get cut out. That finding, which won him the Nobel Prize in 1993, laid the groundwork for nearly every major biotech advancement that followed.

What we loved most about Cracking the Code is how it doesn’t just focus on Sharp’s science. Rather, it shows how his work helped create an entire industry. He didn’t stop at research; he went on to help launch some of biotech’s biggest names: Biogen, Moderna, and Alnylam!

At the heart of Phil Sharp’s discovery is RNA splicing, a process where non-coding segments (introns) are removed from RNA transcripts, leaving only the coding regions (exons) to produce proteins. This showed that a single gene could lead to multiple proteins, a concept called

alternative splicing, which dramatically expanded our understanding of genetic complexity. This insight opened the door to RNA-based medicine, from mRNA vaccines (like Moderna’s) that program cells to make proteins, to siRNA therapies (like Alnylam’s) that silence harmful genes. Essentially, Sharp helped reveal that RNA isn't just a messenger—it’s a master controller of cellular function. That shift changed how we fight disease at the molecular level.

The RNA wave is just getting started. The film touches on how Sharp’s work helped launch a whole new generation of biotech startups focused on small interfering RNA (siRNA) and other forms of gene silencing. Companies like Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, are picking up where Sharp left off! Arrowhead’s products in development act through RNA interference (RNAi). The company focuses on treatments for hepatitis B, liver disease associated with alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency and cardiovascular disease. Arrowhead is a publicly traded company and has been around since 2004. However, companies are still piggybacking on where sharp left off even today. Atalanta Therapeutics is a fairly new company focused on a major hurdle for RNAi in neurological diseases. The hurdle has been poor distribution across the brain—but their proprietary di-siRNA overcomes this, enabling broad, effective delivery throughout the brain and spinal cord.

Cracking the Code is more than a documentary—it’s a celebration of how one man’s curiosity about tiny fragments of RNA led to a biotech revolution. What makes it so powerful is how personal it is. You get a real sense of Sharp’s humanity: his love of science, his challenges, and his role as a mentor to so many. You don’t need a PhD to follow the story—just an interest in how ideas become impact.

For more information on the film and future showings visit the website here: https://www.uncommonproductions.com/cracking-the-code