Molecular analysis of morphogenesis Cellular adhesion and communication are vital during the development of multicellular organisms. These processes use proteins on the surface of cells (receptors) which stick cells together (adhesion) and/or transmit signals from outside the cell to the interior, so that the cell can respond to its environment. Our research is currently focused on how adhesion receptors are linked with the cytoskeleton to specify cell shape and movement within the developing animal. This linkage between the adhesion receptors and the major cytoskeletal filaments contains many components, giving it the ability to grow or shrink in response to numerous signals. For example, as the cytoskeleton becomes contractile and exerts stronger force on the adhesion sites, additional linker proteins are recruited in to strengthen adhesion.