What was one of the first commercial products made by genetic engineering?

Insulin is widely recognized as one of the first commercial products developed through genetic engineering techniques. Scientists were able to use recombinant DNA technology to produce human insulin from bacteria. This innovation marked a significant advancement in biotechnology, as prior to this method, insulin was primarily extracted from animal pancreas, which involved various limitations and complications. The ability to produce human insulin in a lab setting not only improved the efficacy for patients with diabetes but also addressed supply issues and minimized allergic reactions that could occur with animal-derived insulin.

On the other hand, while soybean oil, Golden rice, and Bt corn are notable agricultural products of genetic engineering, they were developed later than insulin. Soybean oil primarily involves the cultivation and processing of soybeans rather than being a product of genetic engineering itself. Golden rice was engineered to combat vitamin A deficiency and was developed years after insulin became commercially available. Similarly, Bt corn, which has been genetically modified to express a bacterial gene for pest resistance, came about as part of ongoing advancements in agriculture much later than the production of insulin.