About embl-ebi
embl-ebi Interview Questions and Answers
Updated 21 Feb 2026Computational Biologist Interview Experience
Candidate: Nina K.
Experience Level: Senior
Applied Via: Recruiter outreach
Difficulty: Hard
Final Result: Rejected
Interview Process
4
Questions Asked
- Explain your approach to integrating multi-omics data.
- Describe a time you developed a novel computational method.
- How do you validate computational predictions experimentally?
- Discuss your experience with scripting and pipeline automation.
- What are your thoughts on open science and data sharing?
Advice
Prepare to discuss both technical depth and scientific impact. Be ready for in-depth discussions on your previous work.
Full Experience
The recruiter contacted me directly. The process included a phone screen, two technical interviews with problem-solving and case studies, and a final cultural fit interview. The technical rounds were challenging with detailed questions about my research and computational methods. Despite a strong background, I was not selected due to competition.
Research Scientist - Molecular Biology Interview Experience
Candidate: Tom S.
Experience Level: Mid-level
Applied Via: University career fair
Difficulty: Easy
Final Result:
Interview Process
2
Questions Asked
- Describe your molecular biology techniques expertise.
- How do you design experiments to validate computational predictions?
- Tell us about your publication record.
- What interests you about EMBL-EBI's research?
Advice
Highlight your experimental skills and ability to work collaboratively with computational teams.
Full Experience
I met a recruiter at a university career fair and was invited for an interview. The first round was a casual discussion about my research experience. The second was with the principal investigator focusing on my technical skills and research interests. The process was friendly and straightforward.
Data Scientist - Genomics Interview Experience
Candidate: Maria L.
Experience Level: Senior
Applied Via: LinkedIn application
Difficulty:
Final Result:
Interview Process
3
Questions Asked
- How do you approach cleaning and preprocessing genomic data?
- Describe your experience with machine learning models in biology.
- Explain a project where your analysis impacted research outcomes.
- What tools do you use for data visualization?
- How do you stay current with genomics research?
Advice
Demonstrate strong analytical skills and ability to communicate complex results clearly. Show enthusiasm for genomics research.
Full Experience
The interview process was smooth. The first round was a phone interview focusing on my background and motivation. The second was technical with scenario-based questions. The final round was with the team, where I presented a past project and answered questions about data science in genomics.
Software Engineer - Bioinformatics Interview Experience
Candidate: Raj P.
Experience Level: Entry-level
Applied Via: Referral
Difficulty: Hard
Final Result: Rejected
Interview Process
4
Questions Asked
- Implement an algorithm to parse FASTA files.
- Explain object-oriented programming concepts.
- How would you optimize a slow-running bioinformatics tool?
- Describe your experience with cloud computing.
- Write code to detect motifs in DNA sequences.
Advice
Brush up on coding skills and bioinformatics algorithms. Practical coding tests are challenging and time-constrained.
Full Experience
After a referral, I had an initial HR call, followed by two technical coding interviews that involved live coding exercises. The final round was a culture fit interview. Despite good preparation, I struggled with some algorithmic questions and was not selected.
Bioinformatics Scientist Interview Experience
Candidate: Alice M.
Experience Level: Mid-level
Applied Via: Online application via company website
Difficulty:
Final Result:
Interview Process
3
Questions Asked
- Explain your experience with genome sequencing data analysis.
- Describe a challenging bioinformatics project you worked on.
- How do you handle large datasets and ensure data quality?
- What programming languages are you proficient in?
- Discuss a time you collaborated with wet-lab scientists.
Advice
Be prepared to discuss both your computational skills and biological knowledge in detail. Familiarity with EMBL-EBI databases is a plus.
Full Experience
The process started with an online application followed by a phone screening focusing on my background. The second round was a technical interview with problem-solving questions related to bioinformatics pipelines. The final round was with the team lead and involved discussing my previous projects and how I could contribute to ongoing research.
Frequently Asked Questions in embl-ebi
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Common Interview Questions in embl-ebi
Q: In a sports contest there were m medals awarded on n successive days (n > 1). 1. On the first day 1 medal and 1/7 of the remaining m - 1 medals were awarded. 2. On the second day 2 medals and 1/7 of the now remaining medals was awarded; and so on.On the nth and last day, the remaining n medals were awarded.How many days did the contest last, and how many medals were awarded altogether?
Q: A hare and a tortoise have a race along a circle of 100 yards diameter. The tortoise goes in one directionand the hare in the other. The hare starts after the tortoise has covered 1/5 of its distance and that too leisurely.The hare and tortoise meet when the hare has covered only 1/8 of the distance. By what factor should the hareincrease its speed so as to tie the race?
Q: A rich merchant had collected many gold coins. He did not want anybody to know about them. One day his wife asked, "How many gold coins do we have?" After pausing a moment, he replied, "Well! If I divide the coins into two unequal numbers, then 32 times the difference between the two numbers equals the difference between the squares of the two numbers."The wife looked puzzled. Can you help the merchant's wife by finding out how many gold coins they have?
Q: Suppose a newly-born pair of rabbits, one male, one female, are put in a field. Rabbits are able to mate at the age of one month so that at the end of its second month a female can produce another pair of rabbits. Suppose that our rabbits never die and that the female always produces one new pair (one male, one female) every month from the second month on.
Q: 9 cards are there. You have to arrange them in a 3*3 matrix. Cards are of 4 colors. They are red, yellow, blue and green. Conditions for arrangement: one red card must be in first row or second row. 2 green cards should be in 3rd column. Yellow cards must be in the 3 corners only. Two blue cards must be in the 2nd row. At least one green card in each row.
Q: A rich man died. In his will, he has divided his gold coins among his 5 sons, 5 daughters and a manager. According to his will: First give one coin to manager. 1/5th of the remaining to the elder son.Now give one coin to the manager and 1/5th of the remaining to second son and so on..... After giving coins to 5th son, divided the remaining coins among five daughters equally.All should get full coins. Find the minimum number of coins he has?
Q: 3 policemen and 3 thieves had to cross a river using a small boat. Only two can use the boat for a trip. All the 3 policemen and only 1 thief knew to ride the boat. If 2 thieves and 1 policeman were left behind they would kill him. But none of them escaped from the policemen. How would they be able to cross the river?
Q: 36 people {a1, a2, ..., a36} meet and shake hands in a circular fashion. In other words, there are totally 36 handshakes involving the pairs, {a1, a2}, {a2, a3}, ..., {a35, a36}, {a36, a1}. Then size of the smallest set of people such that the res...
Q: T, U, V are 3 friends digging groups in fields. If T & U can complete i groove in 4 days &, U & V can complete 1 groove in 3 days & V & T can complete in 2 days. Find how many days each takes to complete 1 groove individually.
Q: There are 3 sticks placed at right angles to each other and a sphere is placed between the sticks . Now another sphere is placed in the gap between the sticks and Larger sphere . Find the radius of smaller sphere in terms of radius of larger sphere.
Q: ABCDE are sisters. Each of them gives 4 gifts and each receives 4 gifts No two sisters give the same combination ( e.g. if A gives 4 gifts to B then no other sisters can give four to other one.)Â (i) B gives four to A.(ii) C gives 3 to E. How much did A,B,C,E give to D?
Q: At 6?o a clock ticks 6 times.The time between first and last ticks is 30 seconds.How long does it tick at 12?o clock?2.A hotel has 10 storey. Which floor is above the floor below the floor, below the floor above the floor, below the floor above the fifth.
Q: There is a room with a door (closed) and three light bulbs. Outside the room there are three switches, connected to the bulbs. You may manipulate the switches as you wish, but once you open the door you can't change them. Identify each switch with its bulb.
Q: Every day a cyclist meets a train at a particular crossing .The road is straight before the crossing and both are travelling in the same direction.Cyclist travels with a speed of 10 kmph.One day the cyclist come late by 25 minutes and meets the train 5 km before the crossing.What is the speed of the train?
Q: A long, long time ago, two Egyptian camel drivers were fighting for the hand of the daughter of the sheik of Abbudzjabbu. The sheik, who liked neither of these men to become the future husband of his daughter, came up with a clever plan: a race would dete
Q: Tom has three boxes with fruits in his barn: one box with apples, one box with pears, and one box with both apples and pears. The boxes have labels that describe the contents, but none of these labels is on the right box. How can Tom, by taking only one p
Q: A vessel is full of liquid. From the vessel, 1/3rd of the liquid evaporates on the first day. On the second day 3/4th of the remaining liquid evaporates. What fraction of the volume is present at the end of the second day
Q: There are 7 letters A,B,C,D,E,F,GAll are assigned some numbers from 1,2 to 7.B is in the middle if arranged as per the numbers.A is greater than G same as F is less than C.G comes earlier than E.Which is the fourth letter
Q: In a Park, N persons stand on the circumference of a circle at distinct points. Each possible pair of persons, not standing next to each other, sings a two-minute song ? one pair immediately after the other. If the total time taken for singing is 28 minutes, what is N?
Q: If I walk with 30 miles/hr i reach 1 hour before and if i walk with 20 miles/hr i reach 1 hour late. Find the distance between 2 points and the exact time of reaching destination is 11 am then find the speed with which it walks.
