Radiolysis of water in the vicinity of passive surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, S.; Fenart, M.; Renault, J.P.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • HO° production through water radiolysis is enhanced near metal surfaces. • Hastelloy and Stainless steel surfaces can also produce HO° radicals through hydrogen peroxide activation. • There is a deficit in solvated electron production compared to hydroxyl radicals near metal surfaces. - Abstract: Porous metals were used to describe the water radiolysis in the vicinity of metal surfaces. The hydroxyl radical production under gamma irradiation was measured by benzoate scavenging in water confined in a 200 nm porous Ni base alloy or in Stainless steel. The presence of the metallic surfaces changed drastically the HO° production level and lifetime. The solvated electron production was measured via glycylglycine scavenging for Stainless steel and was found to be significantly smaller than hydroxyl production. These observations imply that interfacial radiolysis may deeply impact the corrosion behavior of the SS and Ni based alloys

A dual cryogenic ion trap spectrometer for the formation and characterization of solvated ionic clusters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marsh, Brett M.; Voss, Jonathan M.; Garand, Etienne, E-mail: egarand@chem.wisc.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706 (United States)

2015-11-28

A new experimental approach is presented in which two separate cryogenic ion traps are used to reproducibly form weakly bound solvent clusters around electrosprayed ions and messenger-tag them for single-photon infrared photodissociation spectroscopy. This approach thus enables the vibrational characterization of ionic clusters comprised of a solvent network around large and non-volatile ions. We demonstrate the capabilities of the instrument by clustering water, methanol, and acetone around a protonated glycylglycine peptide. For water, cluster sizes with greater than twenty solvent molecules around a single ion are readily formed. We further demonstrate that similar water clusters can be formed around ions having a shielded charge center or those that do not readily form hydrogen bonds. Finally, infrared photodissociation spectra of D{sub 2}-tagged GlyGlyH{sup +} ⋅ (H{sub 2}O){sub 1−4} are presented. They display well-resolved spectral features and comparisons with calculations reveal detailed information on the solvation structures of this prototypical peptide.

Evaluation of sup(99m)Tc labeled amino acids as radiopharmaceuticals, 4. S-substituted cysteines and N-substituted iminodiacetic acids

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karube, Yoshiharu; Maeda, Tatsuo; Ohya, Masato; Sugata, Setsuro; Kono, Akira (Kyushu Cancer Center Research Inst., Fukuoka (Japan)); Matsushima, Yoshikazu

1982-06-01

Sixteen sup(99m)Tc labeled ligands were evaluated as scintigraphic agents. The ligands studied were cysteine, glutathione, their S-substituted derivatives, lysine-N sup(epsilon), N sup(epsilon)-diacetic acid, glycylglycine-N,N-diacetic acid, glycylglycylglycine-N,N-diacetic acid, taurine-N,N-diacetic acid, hydrazine-N,N-diacetic acid, ethylenediamine-N,N-diacetic acid, and propylne-1,3-diamine-N/sup 1/-,N/sup 1/-diacetic acid. The ligands were labeled with sup(99m)Tc by the SnCl/sub 2/ method with more than 95% yield. The in vivo behavior of the sup(99m)Tc labeled ligands were studied in golden hamsters and dogs. The organ distribution in golden hamsters indicated clearance both by hepatobiliary and renal systems. The pancreas/blood ratios were much lower in the sup(99m)Tc ligands than in /sup 75/Se-selenomethionine. Scintigraphic studies in dogs showed that the liver and kidneys were well visualized but the accumulation by the pancreas was not sufficient for clear visualization.

The formation of amino acid and dipeptide complexes with α-cyclodextrin and cucurbit[6]uril in aqueous solutions studied by titration calorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buschmann, H.-J.; Schollmeyer, E.; Mutihac, L.

2003-01-01

The complex stabilities and the thermodynamic data for the complexation of α-cyclodextrin and cucurbit[6]uril with some amino acids (glycine, L-alanine, L-valine, L-phenylalanine, 6-amino hexanoic acid, 8-amino octanoic acid, 11-amino undecanoic acid) and dipeptides (glycyl-glycine, glycyl-L-valine, glycyl-L-leucine and glycyl-L-phenylalanine) have been determined in aqueous solution by calorimetric titrations. The complex formation with α-cyclodextrin is mainly favoured by entropic contributions due to the release of water molecules from the cavity of the ligand. The values of the reaction enthalpies are small with the exception of 11-amino undecanoic acid. In case of the ligand cucurbit[6]uril, ion-dipole interactions between the protonated amino groups of the amino acids and the carbonyl groups take place. By steric reasons these interactions are lowered for native amino acids because the polar carboxylic groups are always located outside the hydrophobic cavity of cucurbit[6]uril. The complexes of both ligands with dipeptides in water are characterised by hydrophobic interactions and in case of cucurbit[6]uril by additional ion-dipole interactions

Feedback inhibition of ammonium (methylammonium) ion transport in Escherichia coli by glutamine and glutamine analogs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayakumar, A.; Hong, J.S.; Barnes, E.M. Jr.

1987-01-01

When cultured with glutamate or glutamine as the nitrogen source, Escherichia coli expresses a specific ammonium (methylammonium) transport system. Over 95% of the methylammonium transport activity in washed cells was blocked by incubation with 100 μM L-glutamine in the presence of chloramphenicol (100 μg/ml). The inhibition of transport by L-glutamine was noncompetitive with respect to the [ 14 C]methylammonium substrate. D-Glutamine had no significant effect. The glutamine analogs γ-L-glutamyl hydroxamate and γ-L-glutamyl hydrazide were also noncompetitive inhibitors of methylammonium transport, suggesting that glutamine metabolism is not required. The role of the intracellular glutamine pool in the regulation of ammonium transport was investigated by using mutants carrying defects in the operon of glnP, the gene for the glutamine transporter. The glnP mutants had normal rates of methylammonium transport but were refractory to glutamine inhibition. Glycylglycine, a noncompetitive inhibitor of methylammonium uptake in wild-type cells, was equipotent in blocking transport in glnP mutants. Although ammonium transport is also subject to repression by growth of E. coli in the presence of ammonia, this phenomenon is unrelated to glutamine inhibition

Synthesis, formulation of nucleo-equipment and biological studies of the 99m Tc-MAG3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reyes H, L.; Lezama C, J.; Ferro F, G.

1991-10-01

Technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyl glycylglycylglycine ( 99m Tc-MAG 3 ) is introduced to replace o-iodohippurate (OIH) for renal function studies. In this paper we present the synthesis, labelling and biological evaluation of 99m Tc- MAG 3 prepared in our laboratory. The precursor s-benzoyl-mercaptoacetyl glycyl glycylglycine (Bz-MAG 3 ) was synthesized by condensation of glycylglycylglycine with chloroacetyl chloride to obtain chloroacetyl glycylglycylglycine and this product was condensate with sodium thiobenzoate. The Bz-MAG 3 was characterized by IR and NMR. The labelling with 99m Tc was carried out at pH 9.0 using stannous chloride as a reducing agent with heating to boiling for 15 min. The benzoyl group is lost in this step, forming 99m Tc-MAG 3 complex with radiochemical purity of 99%. The biodistribution properties were evaluated in mice and a rapid renal extraction was apparent at the 10 minutes value (51.65% of the injected dose). The radiotracer was administered to 5 patients showing a good biological behavior. Based on these results, the 99m Tc-MAG 3 is expected to have widespread clinical utility in Mexico. (Author)

Synthesis, formulation of nucleo-equipment and biological studies of the {sup 99m} Tc-MAG{sub 3}; Sintesis, formulacion de nucleo-equipos y estudios biologicos de la {sup 99m} Tc-MAG{sub 3}

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reyes H, L; Lezama C, J; Ferro F, G

1991-10-15

Technetium-99m-mercaptoacetyl glycylglycylglycine ({sup 99m}Tc-MAG{sub 3}) is introduced to replace o-iodohippurate (OIH) for renal function studies. In this paper we present the synthesis, labelling and biological evaluation of {sup 99m}Tc- MAG{sub 3} prepared in our laboratory. The precursor s-benzoyl-mercaptoacetyl glycyl glycylglycine (Bz-MAG{sub 3} ) was synthesized by condensation of glycylglycylglycine with chloroacetyl chloride to obtain chloroacetyl glycylglycylglycine and this product was condensate with sodium thiobenzoate. The Bz-MAG{sub 3} was characterized by IR and NMR. The labelling with {sup 99m}Tc was carried out at pH 9.0 using stannous chloride as a reducing agent with heating to boiling for 15 min. The benzoyl group is lost in this step, forming {sup 99m}Tc-MAG{sub 3} complex with radiochemical purity of 99%. The biodistribution properties were evaluated in mice and a rapid renal extraction was apparent at the 10 minutes value (51.65% of the injected dose). The radiotracer was administered to 5 patients showing a good biological behavior. Based on these results, the {sup 99m}Tc-MAG{sub 3} is expected to have widespread clinical utility in Mexico. (Author)

A recursive microfluidic platform to explore the emergence of chemical evolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Doran

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We propose that a chemically agnostic approach to explore the origin of life, using an automated recursive platform based on droplet microfluidics, could be used to induce artificial chemical evolution by iterations of growth, speciation, selection, and propagation. To explore this, we set about designing an open source prototype of a fully automated evolution machine, comprising seven modules. These modules are a droplet generator, droplet transfer, passive and active size sorting, splitter, incubation chamber, reservoir, and injectors, all run together via a LabVIEWTM program integration system. Together we aim for the system to be used to drive cycles of droplet birth, selection, fusion, and propagation. As a proof of principle, in addition to the working individual modules, we present data showing the osmotic exchange of glycylglycine containing and pure aqueous droplets, showing that the fittest droplets exhibit higher osomolarity relative to their neighbours, and increase in size compared to their neighbours. This demonstrates the ability of our platform to explore some different physicochemical conditions, combining the efficiency and unbiased nature of automation with our ability to select droplets as functional units based on simple criteria.

Clustered DNA damage induced by proton and heavy ion irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidkova, M.; Pachnerova Brabcova, K; Stepan, V.; Vysin, L.; Sihver, L.; Incerti, S.

2014-01-01

Ionizing radiation induces in DNA strand breaks, damaged bases and modified sugars, which accumulate with increasing density of ionizations in charged particle tracks. Compared to isolated DNA damage sites, the biological toxicity of damage clusters can be for living cells more severe. We investigated the clustered DNA damage induced by protons (30 MeV) and high LET radiation (C 290 MeV/u and Fe 500 MeV/u) in pBR322 plasmid DNA. To distinguish between direct and indirect pathways of radiation damage, the plasmid was irradiated in pure water or in aqueous solution of one of the three scavengers (coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, dimethylsulfoxide, and glycylglycine). The goal of the contribution is the analysis of determined types of DNA damage in dependence on radiation quality and related contribution of direct and indirect radiation effects. The yield of double strand breaks (DSB) induced in the DNA plasmid-scavenger system by heavy ion radiation was found to decrease with increasing scavenging capacity due to reaction with hydroxyl radical, linearly with high correlation coefficients. The yield of non-DSB clusters was found to occur twice as much as the DSB. Their decrease with increasing scavenging capacity had lower linear correlation coefficients. This indicates that the yield of non-DSB clusters depends on more factors, which are likely connected to the chemical properties of individual scavengers. (authors)

Changes in intestinal absorption of nutrients and brush border glycoproteins after total parenteral nutrition in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Miura, S; Tanaka, S; Yoshioka, M; Serizawa, H; Tashiro, H; Shiozaki, H; Imaeda, H; Tsuchiya, M

1992-01-01

The effect of total parenteral nutrition on nutrients absorption and glycoprotein changes of brush border membrane was examined in rat small intestine. In total parenteral nutrition rats, a marked decrease in activity of brush border enzymes was observed mainly in the proximal and middle segments of the intestine. Galactose perfusion of jejunal segment showed that hexose absorption was significantly inhibited, while intestinal absorption of glycine or dipeptide, glycylglycine was not significantly affected by total parenteral nutrition treatment. When brush border membrane glycoprotein profile was examined by [3H]-glucosamine or [3H]-fucose incorporation into jejunal loops, significant changes were observed in the glycoprotein pattern of brush border membrane especially in the high molecular weight range over 120 kDa after total parenteral nutrition treatment, suggesting strong dependency of glycoprotein synthesis on luminal substances. Molecular weight of sucrase isomaltase in brush border membrane detected by specific antibody showed no significant difference, however, in total parenteral nutrition and control rats. Also, molecular weight of specific sodium glucose cotransporter of intestinal brush border membrane detected by selective photoaffinity labelling was not altered in total parenteral nutrition rats. It may be that prolonged absence of oral food intake may produce significant biochemical changes in brush border membrane glycoprotein and absorptive capacity of small intestine, but these changes were not observed in all brush border membrane glycoproteins. Images Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 PMID:1582592

The 11th Werner Brandt workshop on charged particle penetration phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-09-01

This report contains the following papers: energy loss of a charged particle moving near the surface of a superlattice; image states on insulators; potential barrier for tunneling electrons in STM; elastic and inelastic interaction in STEM; excitonic interaction in GaAs/GaA ell As quantum wells; recoil saturation of the self-energy in atomic systems; review of convoy electron phenomena; transport theory for convoy electrons and Rydberg electrons in solids; electron emission from collective excitation of solids by heavy ion impact; ECC cusp shapes for H + and He ++ on atomic and molecular targets; scanning tunneling microscopy and spectroscopy; new directions in scanning-tunneling microscopy; inner-shell excitation by channeled electrons; Cherenkov x-rays: recent experimental results; radiative electron capture; optical, mass, and auger spectra from e-bombarded KBr; calculated Bethe stopping powers for protons in metals; energy deposition by partially stripped ions; enhanced electron-capture and charge variation of molecular ions; electronic sputtering; mechanism of H n + and H - desorption during fast ion bombardment; on the calculation of wave-number vector- and frequency-dependent dielectric response function for cubic ice; a core plasma model of track structure in insulators; phase effects for electrons in liquid water and water vapor; physical and chemical interactions in irradiated water containing DNA; track core effects in heavy ion radiolysis; an analytic representation of the radial distribution of dose from energetic heavy ions in water, Si, LiF, and NaI; and calculated yields of ammonia in the radiolysis of deoxygenated solutions of glycylglycine

Crystal Structure of the LasA Virulence Factor from Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Substrate Specificity and Mechanism of M23 Metallopeptidases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spencer, James; Murphy, Loretta M.; Conners, Rebecca; Sessions, Richard B.; Gamblin, Steven J. (Wales); (Bristol Med Sci); (NIMR)

2010-09-21

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunist Gram-negative bacterial pathogen responsible for a wide range of infections in immunocompromized individuals and is a leading cause of mortality in cystic fibrosis patients. A number of secreted virulence factors, including various proteolytic enzymes, contribute to the establishment and maintenance of Pseudomonas infection. One such is LasA, an M23 metallopeptidase related to autolytic glycylglycine endopeptidases such as Staphylococcus aureus lysostaphin and LytM, and to DD-endopeptidases involved in entry of bacteriophage to host bacteria. LasA is implicated in a range of processes related to Pseudomonas virulence, including stimulating ectodomain shedding of the cell surface heparan sulphate proteoglycan syndecan-1 and elastin degradation in connective tissue. Here we present crystal structures of active LasA as a complex with tartrate and in the uncomplexed form. While the overall fold resembles that of the other M23 family members, the LasA active site is less constricted and utilizes a different set of metal ligands. The active site of uncomplexed LasA contains a five-coordinate zinc ion with trigonal bipyramidal geometry and two metal-bound water molecules. Using these structures as a starting point, we propose a model for substrate binding by LasA that explains its activity against a wider range of substrates than those used by related lytic enzymes, and offer a catalytic mechanism for M23 metallopeptidases consistent with available structural and mutagenesis data. Our results highlight how LasA is a structurally distinct member of this endopeptidase family, consistent with its activity against a wider range of substrates and with its multiple roles in Pseudomonas virulence.

Thermodynamics of the interactions of some amino acids and peptides with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talele, Paurnima; Kishore, Nand

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Interactions of amino acids and peptides were studied with two cationic surfactants. • Partial molar properties and hydration numbers did not change significantly. • Measured properties indicate balance of polar and non-polar interactions. • Peptide bonds did not strengthen the extent of polar interactions with surfactant. • Results provide quantitative fine details of cationic surfactant–amino acids/peptides interactions. -- Abstract: The values of apparent molar volume V 2,ϕ and apparent molar adiabatic compressibility K S,2,ϕ of amino acids glycine, L-alanine, DL-α-amino-n-butyric acid, L-valine, L-leucine and peptides glycyl-glycine, glycyl-glycyl-glycine and glycyl-leucine have been determined in aqueous solutions of cationic surfactants dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) and tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (TTAB) by means of density and sound velocity measurements. The heat evolved or absorbed (q) during the course of interactions of amino acids and peptides with the aqueous solutions of surfactants were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry at T = 298.15 K. The values of standard partial molar volume V 2,m 0 and standard partial molar adiabatic compressibility K s,2,m 0 at infinite dilution were calculated from the values of V 2,ϕ and K S,2,ϕ . Similarly the values of limiting enthalpies of dilution (Δ dil H 0 ) of the amino acids/peptides were calculated from heat evolved or absorbed during calorimetric experiments. The standard partial molar quantities of transfer from water to aqueous surfactant solutions have been used to identify the interactions of amino acids and peptides with surfactants in terms of ionic–ionic, ionic–hydrophobic and hydrophobic–hydrophobic group interactions

A Chimeric LysK-Lysostaphin Fusion Enzyme Lysing Staphylococcus aureus Cells: a Study of Both Kinetics of Inactivation and Specifics of Interaction with Anionic Polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Filatova, Lyubov Y; Donovan, David M; Ishnazarova, Nadiya T; Foster-Frey, Juli A; Becker, Stephen C; Pugachev, Vladimir G; Balabushevich, Nadezda G; Dmitrieva, Natalia F; Klyachko, Natalia L

2016-10-01

A staphylolytic fusion protein (chimeric enzyme K-L) was created, harboring three unique lytic activities composed of the LysK CHAP endopeptidase, and amidase domains, and the lysostaphin glycyl-glycine endopeptidase domain. To assess the potential of possible therapeutic applications, the kinetic behavior of chimeric enzyme K-L was investigated. As a protein antimicrobial, with potential antigenic properties, the biophysical effect of including chimeric enzyme K-L in anionic polymer matrices that might help reduce the immunogenicity of the enzyme was tested. Chimeric enzyme K-L reveals a high lytic activity under the following optimal ( opt ) conditions: pH opt 6.0-10.0, t opt 20-30 °C, NaCl opt 400-800 mM. At the working temperature of 37 °C, chimeric enzyme K-L is inactivated by a monomolecular mechanism and possesses a high half-inactivation time of 12.7 ± 3.0 h. At storage temperatures of 22 and 4 °C, a complex mechanism (combination of monomolecular and bimolecular mechanisms) is involved in the chimeric enzyme K-L inactivation. The optimal storage conditions under which the enzyme retains 100 % activity after 140 days of incubation (4 °C, the enzyme concentration of 0.8 mg/mL, pH 6.0 or 7.5) were established. Chimeric enzyme K-L is included in complexes with block-copolymers of poly-L-glutamic acid and polyethylene glycol, while the enzyme activity and stability are retained, thus suggesting methods to improve the application of this fusion as an effective antimicrobial agent.

Isolation and Characterisation of Some Microalgae Bioactive Molecules

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Emeka Ugoala

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This study involved the isolation, structure elucidation, and biological screening of secondary metabolites in freshwater microalgae for bioactive and chemically novel compounds. Isolates were fractionated and purified from the methanol, ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, petroleum ether and aqueous extracts of microalgae via column chromatography technique over silica gel using a gradient mixture of solvents. The chemical structures of isolated compounds have been elucidated using Solid-state cross polarization (CP and magic angle spinning (MAS 13C-NMR spectroscopic technique at spectrometer frequency at a field strength corresponding to 91.3695 MHz for 13C and 363.331 MHz for 1H. Of the nine compounds isolated, eight have a glycan skeleton with attached amino acids units. Two of the eight contain beta amino acids units. These are not very common metabolites but hold promise as drug leads. The elements of diversity in the isolates were the gluco and manno configurations of the pyranose ring, the α-configurations at the anomeric centre, and the positions of the carbohydrate and amino acid sectors in the ring. These molecules are not easily available through gene technology since they are post translational products resulting from the activity of glycosyl hydrolases and transferases. The chemical shifts were rationalized in terms of the number of sugar residues, the sugar ring structures, the positions and anomeric configurations of the inter-sugar linkages. Considering all the NMR data, it was concluded that the compounds were glycylglycylglycylglycine, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-amino-4-methylpentanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-methylamino-4-methylpentanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2-amino-4-methylpentanoate, α-D-glucopyranosyl-glycylglycine, α-D-glucopyranosyl-3-aminobutanoic acid, α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,4,7-triaminooctantrioic acid, α-D-mannopyranosyl-2-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid and α-D-mannopyranosyl-3-aminobutanoic acid.

Radiation-induced chemical evolution of glycine to (Gly)2, (Gly)3, and (Gly)4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, T.; Izumi, Y.; Kamohara, M.; Nakagawa, K.; Yokoya, A.

2006-01-01

Recently amino acids were detected from some meteorites. Since these amino acids were found after hydrolysis, some oligopeptides were possibly formed in space. A simulation experiment of chemical evolution from Glycine (Gly) to Glycylglycine ((Gly)2) was reported by Kaneko et al. In this work, we irradiated (Gly)2 with 8 eV vacuum ultraviolet photons or with 530 eV soft X-ray photons and examined absolute values of quantum yield of radiation-induced chemical evolution from Gly2 to Glycylglycylglycine ((Gly)3) and Glycylglycylglycylglycine ((Gly)4). Thin films of (Gly)2 were prepared on quartz plate or CuBe plate with a vacuum evaporation technique. These samples were irradiated by 8 eV photons from a Xe 2 * excimer lamp or by 530 eV soft X-ray photons at SPring-8 Synchrotron Radiation Facility. Irradiated samples were analyzed with a high performance liquid chromatography HPLC. Decomposition of (Gly)2 and production of Gly, (Gly)3 and (Gly)4 were observed. Quantum yield Y was defined to be N = Y N 0 , where N is the number of produced or decomposed molecule, and N 0 is the number of (Gly)2 molecules excited by photons. Obtained results by 8 eV irradiation were summarized in Table 1. The similar magnitude of decomposition of (Gly)2 may show that yield of the primary breaking reaction upon photo-excitation is of similar magnitude. It should be noted that (Gly)3 and (Gly)4 was produced by irradiation with the yield of 10 -4 without any catalysis. For soft X-ray irradiation, yield of Gly was tentatively determined to be about 40. This largervalue than that for 8 eV irradiation may originate from large energy of incident soft X-ray photons just like a result reported by Simakov et al. We will discuss in detail at the conference. (authors)

Novel biocompatible polymeric blends for bone regeneration: Material and matrix design and development

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Meng

The first part of the work presented in this dissertation is focused on the design and development of novel miscible and biocompatible polyphosphazene-polyester blends as candidate materials for scaffold-based bone tissue engineering applications. Biodegradable polyesters such as poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLAGA) are among the most widely used polymeric materials for bone tissue engineering. However, acidic degradation products resulting from the bulk degradation mechanism often lead to catastrophic failure of the structure integrity, and adversely affect biocompatibility both in vitro and in vivo. One promising approach to circumvent these limitations is to blend PLAGA with other macromolecules that can buffer the acidic degradation products with a controlled degradation rate. Biodegradable polyphosphazenes (PPHOS), a new class of biomedical materials, have proved to be superior candidate materials to achieve this objective due to their unique buffering degradation products. A highly practical blending approach was adopted to develop novel biocompatible, miscible blends of these two polymers. In order to achieve this miscibility, a series of amino acid ester, alkoxy, aryloxy, and dipeptide substituted PPHOS were synthesized to promote hydrogen bonding interactions with PLAGA. Five mixed-substituent PPHOS compositions were designed and blended with PLAGA at different weight ratios producing candidate blends via a mutual solvent method. Preliminary characterization identified two specific side groups namely glycylglycine dipeptide and phenylphenoxy that resulted in improved blend miscibility and enhanced in vitro osteocompatibility. These findings led to the synthesis of a mixed-substituent polyphosphazene poly[(glycine ethyl glycinato)1(phenylphenoxy)1phosphazene] (PNGEGPhPh) for blending with PLAGA. Two dipeptide-based blends having weight ratios of PNGEGPhPh to PLAGA namely 25:75 (Matrix1) and 50:50 (Matrix2) were fabricated. Both of the blends were