The Broad Institute, a biomedical research center, will use a $32.5-million grant from finance guru Seth Klarman’s foundation to take the first steps in an ambitious project to map the chemical pathways in the body, writes The Boston Globe.

The Cambridge, Mass., center established by philanthropist Eli Broad with Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology will develop a “cell observatory” to trace the chemical instructions by which the human genome instructs cells, with a goal of cataloging the circuits and identifying configurations that lead to disease.

The Klarman Family Foundation will underwrite the first phase of the project, which will involve bringing together physicians and researchers with technological and computational expertise. Mr. Klarman sits on the Broad Institute’s board.