diff --git a/code/backend/app.py b/code/backend/app.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..daaf73e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/backend/app.py
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import sys
+import traceback
+from datetime import datetime
+
+from aiohttp import web
+from aiohttp.web import Request, Response
+from botbuilder.core import (
+    TurnContext,
+)
+from botbuilder.core.integration import aiohttp_error_middleware
+from botbuilder.integration.aiohttp import CloudAdapter, ConfigurationBotFrameworkAuthentication
+from botbuilder.schema import Activity, ActivityTypes
+
+from bots.assistant import AssistantBot
+from core.config import settings as CONFIG
+
+
+# Create adapter.
+# See https://aka.ms/about-bot-adapter to learn more about how bots work.
+ADAPTER = CloudAdapter(ConfigurationBotFrameworkAuthentication(CONFIG))
+
+
+# Catch-all for errors.
+async def on_error(context: TurnContext, error: Exception):
+    # This check writes out errors to console log .vs. app insights.
+    # NOTE: In production environment, you should consider logging this to Azure
+    #       application insights.
+    print(f"\n [on_turn_error] unhandled error: {error}", file=sys.stderr)
+    traceback.print_exc()
+
+    # Send a message to the user
+    await context.send_activity("The bot encountered an error or bug.")
+    await context.send_activity(
+        "To continue to run this bot, please fix the bot source code."
+    )
+    # Send a trace activity if we're talking to the Bot Framework Emulator
+    if context.activity.channel_id == "emulator":
+        # Create a trace activity that contains the error object
+        trace_activity = Activity(
+            label="TurnError",
+            name="on_turn_error Trace",
+            timestamp=datetime.now(datetime.UTC),
+            type=ActivityTypes.trace,
+            value=f"{error}",
+            value_type="https://www.botframework.com/schemas/error",
+        )
+        # Send a trace activity, which will be displayed in Bot Framework Emulator
+        await context.send_activity(trace_activity)
+
+
+ADAPTER.on_turn_error = on_error
+
+# Create the Bot
+BOT = AssistantBot()
+
+
+# Listen for incoming requests on /api/messages
+async def messages(req: Request) -> Response:
+    return await ADAPTER.process(req, BOT)
+
+
+APP = web.Application(middlewares=[aiohttp_error_middleware])
+APP.router.add_post("/api/messages", messages)
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    try:
+        web.run_app(APP, host="localhost", port=CONFIG.PORT)
+    except Exception as error:
+        raise error
diff --git a/code/backend/bots/__init__.py b/code/backend/bots/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/code/backend/bots/assistant.py b/code/backend/bots/assistant.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef832b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/backend/bots/assistant.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+from typing import List
+from botbuilder.core import ActivityHandler, MessageFactory, TurnContext
+from botbuilder.schema import ChannelAccount
+from llm.assisstant import assistant_handler
+
+
+class AssistantBot(ActivityHandler):
+    thread_id = None
+
+    async def on_members_added_activity(
+        self, members_added: List[ChannelAccount], turn_context: TurnContext
+    ):
+        """Onboards new members to the assistant by creating a new thread and adding a initial welcome message.
+
+        members_added (List[ChannelAccount]): The list of channel accounts.
+        turn_context (TurnContext): The turn context.
+        RETURNS (str): The welcome message actvity is being returned.
+        """
+        for member in members_added:
+            if member.id != turn_context.activity.recipient.id:
+                # Initialize thread in assistant
+                self.thread_id = assistant_handler.create_thread()
+                # Respond with welcome message
+                await turn_context.send_activity("Hello and welcome! I am your personal joke assistant. How can I help you today?")
+
+    async def on_message_activity(self, turn_context: TurnContext):
+        """Acts upon new messages added to a channel.
+
+        turn_context (TurnContext): The turn context.
+        RETURNS (str): The assistant message actvity is being returned.
+        """
+        # Interact with assistant
+        message = assistant_handler.send_message(
+            message=turn_context.activity.text,
+            thread_id=self.thread_id,
+        )
+        if message:
+            return await turn_context.send_activity(
+                MessageFactory.text(message)
+            )
diff --git a/code/backend/core/__init__.py b/code/backend/core/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/code/backend/core/config.py b/code/backend/core/config.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa2ce1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/backend/core/config.py
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import logging
+
+from pydantic import Field
+from pydantic_settings import BaseSettings
+
+
+class Settings(BaseSettings):
+    # General project settings
+    PROJECT_NAME: str = "BotAssistantSample"
+    SERVER_NAME: str = "BotAssistantSample"
+    APP_VERSION: str = "v0.0.1"
+    PORT: int = 3978
+
+    # Logging settings
+    LOGGING_LEVEL: int = logging.INFO
+    DEBUG: bool = False
+    APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING: str = Field(
+        default="", alias="APPLICATIONINSIGHTS_CONNECTION_STRING"
+    )
+
+    # Authentication settings
+    APP_ID: str = Field(default="", alias="MICROSOFT_APP_ID")
+    APP_PASSWORD : str = Field(default="", alias="MICROSOFT_APP_PASSWORD")
+    APP_TENANTID : str = Field(default="", alias="MICROSOFT_APP_TENANTID")
+    APP_TYPE : str = Field(default="MultiTenant", alias="MICROSOFT_APP_TYPE")
+
+    # Azure Open AI settings
+    AZURE_OPEN_AI_ENDPOINT: str
+    AZURE_OPEN_AI_API_VERSION: str
+    AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY: str
+    AZURE_OPENAI_ASSISTANT_ID: str
+
+
+settings = Settings()
diff --git a/code/backend/llm/__init__.py b/code/backend/llm/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/code/backend/llm/assisstant.py b/code/backend/llm/assisstant.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7e8feaf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/backend/llm/assisstant.py
@@ -0,0 +1,106 @@
+import time
+import logging
+import json
+
+from core.config import settings
+
+from openai import AzureOpenAI
+from openai.types.beta.threads import Run
+
+class AssistantHandler:
+    def __init__(self, *args,) -> None:
+        self.client = AzureOpenAI(
+            api_key=settings.AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY,
+            api_version=settings.AZURE_OPEN_AI_API_VERSION,
+            azure_endpoint=settings.AZURE_OPEN_AI_ENDPOINT,
+        )
+        self.assistant_id = settings.AZURE_OPENAI_ASSISTANT_ID
+    
+    def create_thread(self) -> str:
+        """Create a thread in the assistant.
+
+        RETURNS (str): Thread id of the newly created thread.
+        """
+        thread = self.client.beta.threads.create()
+        logging.debug(f"Created thread with thread id: '{thread.id}'")
+        return thread.id
+    
+    def send_message(self, message: str, thread_id: str) -> str | None:
+        """Send a message to the thread and return the response from the assistant.
+
+        message (str): The message to be sent to the assistant.
+        thread_id (str): The thread id to which the message should be sent to the assistant.
+        RETURNS (str): The response from the assistant is being returned.
+        """
+        logging.debug(f"Adding message to thread with thread id: '{thread_id}' - Mesage: '{message}'")
+        if thread_id is None:
+            return None
+        
+        message = self.client.beta.threads.messages.create(
+            thread_id=thread_id,
+            content=message,
+            role="user",
+        )
+
+        run = self.client.beta.threads.runs.create(
+            thread_id=thread_id,
+            assistant_id=self.assistant_id,
+        )
+        run = self.__wait_for_run(run=run, thread_id=thread_id)
+        run = self.__check_for_tools(run=run, thread_id=thread_id)
+        message = self.__get_assisstant_response(thread_id=thread_id)
+
+        return message
+    
+    def __wait_for_run(self, run: Run, thread_id: str) -> Run:
+        """Wait for the run to complete and return the run once completed.
+
+        run (Run): The run object of the assistant.
+        thread_id (str): The thread id to which the message should be sent to the assistant.
+        RETURNS (Run): The run that completed is being returned.
+        """
+        while run.status not in ["completed", "cancelled", "expired", "failed"]:
+            time.sleep(0.5)
+            run = self.client.beta.threads.runs.retrieve(
+                thread_id=thread_id,
+                run_id=run.id
+            )
+            status = run.status
+            logging.debug(f"Status of run '{run.id}' in thread '{thread_id}': {status}")
+        return run
+    
+    def __check_for_tools(self, run: Run, thread_id: str) -> Run:
+        """Acts upon tools configured for the assistant. Runs the thread afterwards and returns the completed run.
+
+        run (Run): The run object of the assistant.
+        thread_id (str): The thread id to which the message should be sent to the assistant.
+        RETURNS (Run): The run that completed is being returned.
+        """
+        if run.required_action:
+            pass
+
+            # Do Action for Function and restart run after submitting action
+            # run = self.wait_for_run(run=run, thread_id=thread_id)
+        return run
+    
+    def __get_assisstant_response(self, thread_id: str) -> str:
+        """Gets the latest response from the assistant thread.
+
+        thread_id (str): The thread id from which the latest message should be fetched.
+        RETURNS (str): The latest message from the assistant in the thread.
+        """
+        # Get message list and load as json object
+        messages = self.client.beta.threads.messages.list(
+            thread_id=thread_id,
+        )
+        messages_json = json.loads(messages.model_dump_json())
+
+        # Extract message from json object
+        message_data_0 = messages_json.get("data", [{"content": [{"text": {"value": ""}}]}]).pop(0)
+        message_data_0_content_0 = message_data_0.get("content", [{"text": {"value": ""}}]).pop(0)
+        first_message_text = message_data_0_content_0.get("text", {"value": ""}).get("value")
+        logging.debug(f"Response from Assistant in thread '{thread_id}': {first_message_text}")
+
+        return first_message_text
+
+assistant_handler = AssistantHandler()
diff --git a/code/backend/requirements.txt b/code/backend/requirements.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2190d8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/code/backend/requirements.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+botbuilder-core~=4.16.1
+botbuilder-integration-aiohttp~=4.16.1
+pydantic-settings~=2.2.1
+pydantic~=2.7.0
+openai~=1.42.0