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Independent Lens

Cracking the Code: Phil Sharp and the Biotech Revolution

Season 27 Episode 1 | 1hr 24m 19s

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.

Aired: 10/05/25 | Expires: 10/06/27
Extra
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American Masters
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Nicole Scherzinger performs "Maybe This Time" from "Cabaret."
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American Masters
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American Masters
A brief history of Reconstruction
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American Masters
The formation of the NAACP and Du Bois’ magazine, “The Crisis”
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Clip: S40 E4 | 3:10
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American Masters
W.E.B. Du Bois' childhood, family and education
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Clip: S40 E4 | 3:43
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American Masters
W.E.B. Du Bois passed away on the eve of the 1963 March on Washington
Du Bois’ death at the 1963 March on Washington marked a passing of the torch in civil rights.
Clip: S40 E4 | 1:48
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