gene expression variability. This paper studies large deviations in a Markovian drift-jump
process that combines exponentially distributed bursts with deterministic degradation. Large
deviations occur as a cumulative effect of many bursts (as in diffusion) or, if the model
includes negative feedback in burst size, in a single big jump. The latter possibility requires
a modification in the WKB solution in the tail region. The main result of the paper is the …