Alexander K. Andrianov is a Research Professor at the Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland. Prior to this he has served in various executive and managerial roles in a number of biotechnology companies focusing on drug delivery technologies and biomaterials. Dr. Andrianov has longstanding research interests in the discovery and development of novel synthetic macromolecules for life sciences applications, including biodegradable materials, self-assembling polymers, immunostimulants, and nanoparticulate drug delivery systems. He has been involved in all aspects of technology development and commercialization, including product advancement from research laboratories to manufacturing and clinical trials. He is an author of over 70 peer-reviewed articles, editor of the Polyphosphazenes for Biomedical Applications book, and an inventor on over 40 issued and pending patents. Harry R. Allcock was born and educated in England. His B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees were awarded by the University of London. After a year as a postdoctoral scientist at Purdue University and two years at the Canadian National Research Council in Ottawa, he spent five years as a research scientist in the laboratories of the American Cyanamid Company in Stamford, Connecticut, before moving to the Pennsylvania State University in 1966. In the Penn State Chemistry Department, he and his coworkers have focused on polyphosphazene synthesis, properties, and possible applications. His group has published 640 research papers on polyphosphazenes and small molecule models, and he has authored or co-authored six books including Contemporary Polymer Chemistry (1981, 1990, and 2003), Phosphorus-Nitrogen Compounds (1972), Chemistry and Applications of Polyphosphazenes (2003), and Introduction to Materials Chemistry (2008; 2nd edition 2018). Professor Allcock is the recipient of three American Chemical Society National Awards in Polymers and Materials, three ACS Polymer Division Awards, and the International Award of the Polymer Society of Japan. He is a member of the American National Academy of Engineering, with membership in the Medical and Chemical Engineering sections.