The properties of 3 and 6 mol % copper-containing bioactive glasses have been evaluated. The structure of the doped glass has been studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron survey (XPS), high-resolution scans and NMR spectroscopy. The results indicated that copper acts as a network modifier in the glass composition and copper-containing glasses show a less connected microstructure. Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) showed that the copper addition in the glass lowers the glass transition temperature. Antibacterial studies showed that doping with copper enhances the antibacterial effect of the bioglass