The Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner is known for aiding to push Singapore's biotechnology sector to the world stage. The 90-year-old Briton was honoured for similar achievement for Japan.

Picture: Nobel laureate Sydney Brenner

At a ceremony in Singapore, Dr Brenner received the Japanese government's Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun award. It is the second-highest accolade Japan gives to foreigners. Dr Brenner was being honoured for his contributions in developing education and research in the field of science and technology in Japan.

The molecular biology pioneer, who won the Nobel Prize in physiology/medicine in 2002, established the roundworm C. elegans as a model for studying developmental biology. This is now used as a standard research model by biologists worldwide.

He has been associated with the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology - Singapore's first biomedical research institute - since its inception in 1985, and has seen it grow into a world-class institution.

He is currently scientific adviser to the chairman of A*Star and head of its Molecular Engineering Laboratory.

Dr Brenner was also the president of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Promotion Corporation from 2005 to 2011.