After graduating with a degree in physics from Fu Jen Catholic University in 1972, Tsuo went to Yeshiva University in New York to continue his physics studies. After obtaining his PhD, he worked at NASA performing research on infrared sensing technology for satellites. He subsequently went to the US Department of Energy (DOE).
科班出身、1972 年輔大物理系畢業後到美國紐約耶希華大學攻讀物理的左元淮，在拿到博士學位後，先是在美國太空總署任職，專門研究人造衛星的紅外線探測技術，爾後又到美國能源部服務。