On the overinterpretation of mass screening data - the example of mobile mRNA

The mathematics of mass screening is crucial for understanding results from imperfect detection methods in large datasets. Although this framework is well-established it is not commonly applied in plant biology. Here, we view the identification of messenger RNAs that travel over long distances in plants (mobile mRNAs) through the lens of mass screening statistics. RNA-Seq analyses have identified thousands of mobile mRNAs. Consideration of the detection accuracy and prevalence, however, cast doubt on these numbers. The presented methodology is relevant to all areas of research where detection tests with less than 100% accuracy are applied to find rare events in large datasets.