Jacob Muller

Jacob Muller

Agricultural & biological engineer

I study what it takes to grow indoors—from the electricity behind the lights to the economics behind the investment.

View résumé Explore my research

Gainesville, Florida

Conceptual illustration of three shelves of young plants under magenta LED lights.

Research

Publications

University of Florida

2024–2026

Energy & economics of vertical indoor propagation

My graduate research evaluates the energy demand and economic feasibility of producing young plants indoors. It connects LED lighting and climate-control loads with production costs to assess when vertical propagation is a viable investment for a grower.

  1. Measurement

    Commercial grower datasets and measured electricity use.

  2. Energy modeling

    Room-scale LED and HVAC loads, validated against measurements.

  3. Economic analysis

    Production costs, payback, and investment feasibility.

Energy model

I compare modeled LED and HVAC loads with measured electricity use. Sensitivity analysis explores how lighting efficacy, growing conditions, and room configuration affect the energy needed to produce young plants.

Python · Excel · Energy measurement · Model validation

Economic model

The economic model connects capital investment, labor, electricity, and crop losses to cost per tray-week and per plant-cycle.

Payback, benefit-cost ratio, and net present value help assess when a system is economically feasible.

Techno-economic modeling · Sensitivity analysis · Decision support

Publications

2026University of Florida · Master’s thesisEnergy Performance and Economic Feasibility of Vertical Indoor Propagation of Transplants 2025Safety · Co-authorLarge Language Models for Agricultural Injury Surveillance 2025UF/IFAS EDIS · Co-authorDesigns for Small-Scale Postharvest Washing of Ginger/Turmeric Rhizomes

Projects

Artifacts One

I develop objects through CAD, printed prototypes, and material studies. The studio brings together this fabrication work with the website I built to document and share it.

Design process

Each prototype tests form, fit, and fabrication. Printed masters and mold components extend the work into casting and other materials.

The studio website documents the objects and provides a way to request custom prints.

CAD · 3D printing · HTML / CSS / JavaScript

Visit Artifacts One
Rendered Artifacts One objects: a lilac vase, green planter, and pale blue catchall on a wooden shelf.
Render

Gainesville Thrives

I design and maintain a connected set of websites for this local literacy nonprofit, bringing program data, parent feedback, and giving into one shared visual identity.

About the pages

Impact: Program reach, book delivery, and community data presented through charts and an interactive literacy map.

Survey: Parent feedback, reading habits, and family stories from the annual survey.

Donate: Online giving and other ways to support local literacy, connected to the program’s impact and survey results.

Gainesville Thrives’ impact website, showing its book-mailing illustration and program information.
Impact page
Gesture-controlled eInk display

An RP2040 drives a 3.7-inch Waveshare eInk display, showing image cards and QR graphics. An APDS9960 sensor lets a gesture change what’s on screen.

RP2040 · eInk · APDS9960 · Arduino / C++

ESP32-C6 weather station

A compact station for temperature, humidity, and pressure, with local display and logging. The project explores the environmental measurements that also matter in a growing space.

ESP32-C6 · I2C sensors · Environmental monitoring

Printed molds & material studies

Printed masters and mold components bridge digital design and casting in silicone, plaster, concrete, and ceramic slip. Alongside moldmaking, I explore key covers and character forms through repeated design, print, and fit tests.

Parametric CAD · Bambu 3D printing · Moldmaking

Background

My background combines plant production with engineering and applied research. At the University of Florida, my work has included energy and economic modeling, greenhouse environmental controls, sensor development, and agricultural AI.

2026
M.S. Agricultural & Biological EngineeringUniversity of Florida
2024
B.S. Agricultural Operations ManagementUniversity of Florida

Outside engineering, I support local literacy through Gainesville Thrives. I founded and led its UF student organization, and serve on the nonprofit’s board and manage its website.