9 8 1 , ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁State ▁Natural ▁Science ▁Award , ▁First ▁Class , ▁for ▁this ▁achiev ement . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 0 , ▁Ts ou ▁moved ▁to ▁Be ij ing ▁to ▁help ▁look ▁after ▁his ▁a iling ▁father - in - law ▁Li ▁S igu ang , ▁and ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁Institute ▁of ▁Bi oph ys ics , ▁Chinese ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences . ▁It ▁was ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁when ▁scientific ▁activity ▁was ▁fro zen ▁in ▁the ▁anti - int el lect ual ▁political ▁atmosphere . ▁When ▁American ▁bio chem ist ▁Emil ▁L . ▁Smith , ▁a ▁fellow ▁al umn us ▁of ▁the ▁Mol ten o ▁Institute , ▁visited ▁Ts ou ▁following ▁Richard ▁N ixon ' s ▁ 1 9 7 2 ▁visit ▁to ▁China , ▁Ts ou ▁used ▁re agent ▁bott les ▁filled ▁with ▁water ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁pre ten se ▁of ▁scientific ▁research . ▁ ▁Awards ▁and ▁hon ors ▁▁ ▁After ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁Cultural ▁Revolution , ▁Ts ou ▁was ▁able ▁to ▁res ume ▁his ▁research ▁and ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁an ▁academ ician ▁of ▁the ▁Chinese ▁Academy ▁of ▁Sciences ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 0 . ▁He ▁pione ered ▁the ▁study ▁of ▁en zym e ▁in hib ition ▁k inet ics , ▁for ▁which ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁T W AS ▁Prize ▁in ▁Bi ology ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁Despite ▁losing ▁an ▁entire ▁de cade ▁of ▁his ▁prime , ▁he ▁published ▁at ▁least ▁ 1 1 8