We study cell adhesion and the actomyosin cytoskeleton and how it is regulated during cell division and in tissue morphogenesis. Cell adhesion and actomyosin contractility are mediated by a complex network of structural and regulatory proteins, which is why we employ a variety of methods, from the single molecule level, through protein networks to a whole organism, to gain insight into the inner workings of these remarkable machines. We are particularly interested in the role forces play in the regulation of morphogenesis and in the interplay between cell adhesion and the actomyosin cytoskeleton.