What was the first practical use of a restriction enzyme in production of what?

The first practical use of a restriction enzyme was in the production of recombinant DNA in the early 1970s. Scientists used the restriction enzyme EcoRI to cut DNA at specific sequences, allowing them to splice together DNA fragments from different sources. This innovation enabled the development of genetically modified organisms and the production of insulin and other therapeutic proteins. The ability to manipulate DNA in this way revolutionized molecular Biology and biotechnology.