All of the Lepidopteran baculovirus genomes contain homologues to the vertebrate fibroblast growth factors, or FGFs, but the function of these viral FGFs (vFGFs) during pathogenesis remains unknown. Based on homology modeling, we predicted that vFGF would be expressed early during infection, be secreted, dimerize and bind heparin. Using a variety of transcriptional and biochemical analyses of the wild-type vFGF gene and recombinant vFGF protein, these predictions have been tested, and the results will be presented.