Jacob's research interfaces practical molten salt thermodynamic modeling and its application to real world salt systems. He has made large contributions to the Molten Salt Thermal Properties Database – Thermochemical and is currently contributing to methods of material recovery via fractional phase separations and method development of scalable uranium trichloride production. His primary focus is the synthesis of the fuel salt for the Molten Chloride Reactor Experiment (MCRE) —the world’s first molten chloride fast reactor. Prior to his research engagements, he was a naval officer in the United States Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program (NNPP), which experience he credits for his principle-centered mindset.