Bamboo shoot development influences subsequent culm architecture and material properties, but the biological relevance of GWAS-derived candidates remains unclear. A stepwise candidate-prioritization strategy integrated 99 previously reported property-associated candidates with large-scale moso bamboo transcriptome screening, multi-species bamboo shoot transcriptome–metabolome data, and qRT-PCR analysis. The candidates were classified into three functional layers: environmental adaptation/stress signaling, carbohydrate metabolism/carbon allocation, and cell wall biosynthesis/remodeling. A rule-based ranking that balanced candidate representation across the three functional categories retained 44 genes for transcriptomic evaluation, of which 30 showed strong or moderate expression support across 90 comparisons. Cell wall biosynthesis/remodeling genes exhibited the broadest transcriptional responses, whereas carbohydrate- and regulatory-related genes provided complementary metabolic and upstream evidence. Correlation analysis across 24 matched shoot variables and 5059 metabolites prioritized PH02Gene17228, PH02Gene00247, and PH02Gene51360, which were associated with amino acid/nitrogen metabolism, hormone/signaling-like metabolites, and organic acid/central carbon metabolism, respectively. qRT-PCR analysis independently supported their expression patterns in developing bamboo shoots. These results support a working model in which regulatory signaling, carbon allocation, and cell wall remodeling jointly contribute to bamboo property-related variation. The prioritized genes provide targets for functional validation and may inform future marker development and molecular breeding aimed at improving bamboo culm quality and material properties.

Bamboo is a rapidly renewable lignocellulosic resource widely used in construction, composites, and bio-based materials. However, its practical applications are often limited by high hygroscopicity, biological degradation, and dimensional instability under humid conditions. This review synthesizes current research on bamboo structure, microbial interactions, and material modification strategies to better understand how bamboo-associated microbiomes influence both deterioration and potential material enhancement. We summarize conventional chemical and thermal modification approaches that improve hydrophobicity, durability, and mechanical stability while also discussing their technical limitations. Emerging studies on bamboo-associated microbial communities reveal complex interactions between fungi, bacteria, and lignocellulosic substrates, including enzymatic degradation, nutrient cycling, and potential bioprotective functions. Advances in multi-omics technologies have further provided insights into the functional gene pools and metabolic pathways involved in bamboo–microbe interactions. Recent conceptual developments in microbiome engineering and engineered living materials (ELMs) suggest possible future directions for integrating microbial functionality into bamboo-based materials. However, direct experimental evidence for microbial enhancement of bamboo structural performance remains limited. Future interdisciplinary research integrating material science, microbial ecology, and synthetic biology will be essential to evaluate the feasibility and safety of such biohybrid systems.