Rapid Detection of by the Naked Eye Using DNA Aptamers.

was first isolated from gastritis patients by Barry J. Marshall and J. Robin Warren in 1982, and more than 90% of duodenal ulcers and about 80% of gastric ulcers are caused by infection. Most detection methods require sophisticated instruments and professional operators, making detection slow and expensive. Therefore, it is critical to develop a simple, fast, highly specific, and practical strategy for the detection of . In this study, we used as a target to select unique aptamers that can be used for the detection of . In our study, we used random ssDNA as an initial library to screen nucleic acid aptamers for . We used binding rate and the fluorescence intensity to identify candidate aptamers. One DNA aptamer, named HPA-2, was discovered through six rounds of positive selection and three rounds of negative selection, and it had the highest affinity constant of all aptamers tested ( = 19.3 ± 3.2 nM). This aptamer could be used to detect and showed no specificity for other bacteria. Moreover, we developed a new sensor to detect with the naked eye for 5 min using illumination from a hand-held flashlight. Our study provides a framework for the development of other aptamer-based methods for the rapid detection of pathogenic bacteria.