This perspective article describes some of the key points of my personal journey through the intriguing world of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs). It also shows the evolution of my perception of functional proteins from a standard lock-and-key theory, where a unique function is defined by a unique 3D structure, to the structure–function continuum model, where the structural heterogeneity and conformational plasticity of IDPs define their remarkable multifunctionality and binding promiscuity. These personal accounts of the difficult and lengthy transition from order to disorder paralleled the uneasy and challenging transition in the mind of the scientific community from disbelief in intrinsic disorder to acceptance of IDPs as real entities that play critical biological roles. I hope that this perspective will be of interest to the readers of this journal.

中文翻译：

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Per aspera ad Chaos：通往内在混乱仙境的个人之旅

这篇透视文章描述了我个人在固有无序蛋白质 (IDP) 的有趣世界中的一些关键点。它还显示了我对功能蛋白质的看法从标准的锁和钥匙理论的演变，其中独特的功能由独特的 3D 结构定义，到结构 - 功能连续体模型，其中 IDP 的结构异质性和构象可塑性定义它们非凡的多功能性和约束性的滥交。这些对从有序到无序的艰难而漫长的过渡的个人描述与科学界心目中的不安和具有挑战性的转变从对内在无序的怀疑到接受国内流离失所者作为发挥关键生物学作用的真实实体的转变相平行。