About Us

Earth Microbial Public Benefit Corporation

Earth Microbial Public Benefit Corporation

Our Mission is to advance microbial science to transform how the world grows food.

We apply microbial science to help farmers improve soil & root health, grow more productive & resilient crops, and build sustainable farming systems.

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Our Business is to transform agriculture by engineering microbiology into whole-farm management. We help growers get more from their farms by connecting biology, chemistry, and the environment.

We help bring together the physical environment (light, climate), chemical balance (nutrients, EC/pH), and biological systems (soil, root, and water microbiomes) so growers can unlock maximum yield, profitability, and sustainability from their operations.

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Our Social Mission is to promote sustainable agriculture, protect ecosystems, and ensure equitable access to nutritious food for future generations. We pursue this mission through active collaboration with academia, government, and communities worldwide.

Our Team

  • Albert Yi

    CEO, Earth Microbial | Strategy & Sustainable Agriculture Consultant
    Economics, Western University

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    Albert helps scientists and growers align microbial science with business value to deliver measurable impact, ROI, and long-term growth.

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    As the business lead at Earth Microbial, Albert partners with research teams, greenhouse operators, and agricultural leaders to translate discoveries into solutions that deliver business value.

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    His focus is bridging science and commerce, supporting scientific innovation to realize commercial adoption and economic benefit.

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    With a career of leading growth and scaling complex organizations, Albert brings a hands-on, execution-focused approach and is passionate about the future of sustainable food production and regenerative agriculture.

  • Trevor Charles, PhD

    Chief Science Officer & Plant-Microbe Interactions Consultant
    Professor, University of Waterloo; PhD, McMaster University

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    Dr. Trevor Charles is a Professor at the University of Waterloo; Director of the Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research and Board member of the Phytobiomes Alliance.

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    He is an expert in the field of microbiology and leads a scientific team with activities in the areas of bacterial genome engineering, plant-microbiome, bacterial nitrogen fixation, functional metagenomics, and environmental microbiome analysis.

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    Trevor leads scientific advisory for clients tackling intractable plant health challenges. Drawing on decades of pioneering research in plant-microbe interactions, he guides root-cause investigations into yield decline, disease pressure, or system imbalances. His consulting connects cutting-edge microbial science with practical solutions that restore stability and growth.

  • Michael Lynch, PhD

    Director of Bioinformatics & Microbial Genomics
    PhD, University of Waterloo

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    Dr. Michael Lynch is a recognized expert in microbial genomics and bioinformatics. He has contributed to multi-institutional projects in agriculture, health, and environmental microbiology, and collaborates widely with academic and industry partners. His research and consulting activities focus on microbiome sequencing, metagenomic analysis, diagnostic validation, and microbial community profiling.

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    Michael leads scientific advisory for clients who need confidence in their microbiome data. Drawing on deep expertise in data reliability and genomic frameworks, he helps organizations validate diagnostics, minimize false positives and negatives, and translate genomic outputs into actionable insights.

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    His consulting ensures that biological programs are built on accurate signals—reducing risk, avoiding wasted interventions, and enabling smarter, evidence-based decision-making.